Calculate your SMP entitlement for 2025/26 with a full week-by-week breakdown. Includes Maternity Allowance and Shared Parental Leave options.
Statutory Maternity Pay is paid in two phases over a maximum of 39 weeks:
The remaining 13 weeks of maternity leave (weeks 40–52) are unpaid, though you remain employed and your contractual rights (such as pension contributions and accrued holiday) continue.
To qualify for SMP, you must meet all of the following conditions:
You must have been continuously employed by the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before your baby is due. This is called the "qualifying week." Part-time and zero-hours contract employees can qualify, as long as the continuous employment condition is met.
Your average weekly gross earnings must be at least £123 (the Lower Earnings Limit for 2025/26) during the 8 weeks ending in your qualifying week. If your earnings fluctuate, all payments in this period are averaged out.
If you do not qualify for SMP — for example because you are self-employed, have recently changed jobs, or earn below the LEL — you may be able to claim Maternity Allowance instead (see below).
Maternity Allowance (MA) is a government benefit paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to mothers who do not qualify for SMP. It is not paid by your employer.
For 2025/26, Maternity Allowance is paid at the standard rate of £184.03 per week (the same as SMP Phase 2 flat rate), or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower. MA is paid for up to 39 weeks.
Self-employed women who pay Class 2 NI at the lower rate may receive a reduced amount. Those who do not pay NI at all may still qualify for a minimum of £27 per week.
You can apply for Maternity Allowance from 26 weeks pregnant online via GOV.UK or using form MA1.
During your maternity leave, you are allowed to work up to 10 Keeping in Touch (KIT) days without your SMP being affected. This gives you the flexibility to stay connected with your workplace, attend important meetings, do training, or have a gradual reintroduction to work.
KIT days are particularly useful for attending team strategy sessions, training courses that would benefit your career, or handover meetings when returning to work is imminent.
Returning to work after maternity leave is a significant transition. Understanding your rights helps ensure the process is as smooth as possible.
If you return after 26 weeks or fewer of ordinary maternity leave (OML), you have the right to return to exactly the same job on the same terms and conditions. If you take additional maternity leave (weeks 27–52), you have the right to return to the same job unless it is no longer reasonably practicable, in which case you must be offered a suitable alternative on no less favourable terms.
You are expected to return on the date your maternity leave is scheduled to end. If you want to return earlier, you must give your employer at least 8 weeks' notice. If you want to change to part-time or different hours on return, you have the right to make a flexible working request.
Your employer must continue to make pension contributions during any paid period of maternity leave, based on your normal full salary rather than your reduced SMP. This is an important benefit that many mothers overlook.
You continue to accrue annual leave throughout your entire maternity leave, including the unpaid weeks. You can choose to take this leave immediately before returning to work to extend your time away, or carry it over into the new leave year.
The UK government offers free childcare places that can significantly reduce costs when you return to work after maternity leave.
All 3 and 4 year olds in England are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare per week, for 38 weeks per year (term-time). This is the universal entitlement regardless of parental income or employment status.
Working parents of 3 and 4 year olds in England can access an additional 15 hours per week (30 hours total) if both parents work at least 16 hours per week and each parent earns less than £100,000 per year. This is the working parents' entitlement.
From September 2024, 15 hours of free childcare was extended to eligible working parents of 2-year-olds. From April 2025, this expanded to cover children aged 9 months and over. You must apply via the GOV.UK childcare account and reconfirm eligibility every 3 months.
Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) allows eligible working families to receive a 20% top-up on childcare costs, worth up to £2,000 per year per child (£4,000 for disabled children). TFC cannot be used at the same time as childcare vouchers, but can be used alongside free childcare hours.
For the first 6 weeks, SMP is 90% of your average weekly earnings with no upper limit. For the following 33 weeks, SMP is the lower of 90% of your AWE or £184.03 per week (the flat rate for 2025/26). Total paid maternity leave is 39 weeks; the remaining 13 weeks are unpaid.
SMP is paid for a maximum of 39 weeks: 6 weeks at 90% AWE, then 33 weeks at the lower of £184.03/week or 90% AWE. You can take up to 52 weeks' total maternity leave, but the final 13 weeks are unpaid. Your employment rights (holiday accrual, pension contributions) continue throughout the full 52 weeks.
To qualify, you must have worked continuously for the same employer for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before your due date, earn on average at least £123/week (the Lower Earnings Limit), give your employer 28 days' notice, and provide a MAT B1 form from your midwife or GP.
Keeping in Touch (KIT) days allow you to work up to 10 days during maternity leave without losing your SMP. They are voluntary and must be agreed with your employer. You are paid your normal rate for these days, on top of any SMP due for that week. KIT days cannot be taken in the first 2 weeks after birth.
Maternity Allowance (MA) is a DWP benefit for mothers who do not qualify for SMP — such as the self-employed, those who recently changed employer, or those earning below the LEL. In 2025/26, MA is £184.03/week for up to 39 weeks (or 90% AWE if lower). Apply from 26 weeks pregnant via GOV.UK using form MA1.
Yes. Shared Parental Leave (SPL) allows you to share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of ShPP (at £184.03/week) with your eligible partner, after the compulsory first 2 weeks of maternity leave. Both parents must individually meet the eligibility criteria. Use our SPL Calculator for a detailed breakdown.
All 3-4 year olds get 15 free childcare hours per week. Working parents of 3-4 year olds can get 30 hours if both parents earn at least 16 hrs/week equivalent and under £100k/year. From 2024/25, free hours are extended to children from 9 months old for eligible working parents. Apply and reconfirm every 3 months via your GOV.UK childcare account.