Last checked: 1 October 2026
Maternity leave can be financially confusing because your leave entitlement and your maternity pay are not the same thing. You might be able to take a full year away from work, while statutory maternity pay normally lasts only 39 weeks.
This guide is designed to help you turn the rules into a practical household plan: work out what maternity income you expect, identify when it drops, estimate any shortfall and decide what your own savings target needs to be.
MoneySavvyUK shares general information, not personalised financial, employment or benefits advice. Maternity rights and employer schemes depend on your circumstances. Check your employer’s policy and the linked official guidance before making decisions.
Maternity pay UK 2026: the quick picture
| Stage | Statutory position for an eligible employee | Planning point |
|---|---|---|
| Maternity leave | Up to 52 weeks | Leave can last longer than statutory maternity pay |
| SMP weeks 1–6 | 90% of average weekly earnings | First income change |
| SMP weeks 7–39 | £194.32/week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower | Often the biggest drop for higher earners |
| Weeks 40–52 | No statutory maternity pay | Potential unpaid period if taking the full 52 weeks, unless other income/pay applies |
The £194.32 statutory rate applies for 2026/27. Statutory Maternity Pay is treated as earnings, so Income Tax and National Insurance can be deducted.
Check current maternity pay and leave rules on GOV.UK.
Understand your maternity pay before you budget
Maternity leave and maternity pay are different
Eligible employees can take up to 52 weeks of Statutory Maternity Leave: 26 weeks of Ordinary Maternity Leave followed by 26 weeks of Additional Maternity Leave. Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), however, is paid for up to 39 weeks.
Statutory maternity leave is a day-one employment right for employees who give the correct notice. SMP has separate service and earnings tests.
Do you qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay?
For SMP, current GOV.UK guidance says you normally need to:
- earn on average at least £129 a week;
- give your employer the correct notice and proof of pregnancy; and
- have worked continuously for that employer for at least 26 weeks continuing into the qualifying week, which is the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth.
If your employer decides you are not eligible for SMP, they should give you form SMP1 explaining why. You may then be able to claim Maternity Allowance.
At least 15 weeks before your due date, you should tell your employer when the baby is due and when you want maternity leave to start. For SMP, you normally give at least 28 days’ notice of when you want the pay to start and provide proof of pregnancy.
Check SMP eligibility on GOV.UK.
How much Statutory Maternity Pay will you get in 2026/27?
For an eligible employee:
- First 6 weeks: 90% of your average weekly earnings, with no statutory upper cap.
- Next 33 weeks: £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
- After week 39: statutory maternity pay ends, even though statutory maternity leave can continue to week 52.
This is why simply knowing “I get 39 weeks of maternity pay” is not enough for budgeting. The amount can change sharply after week 6, and taking the full year can create up to 13 weeks without SMP.
Check your employer’s enhanced maternity pay
Some employers pay more than the statutory minimum. An enhanced package might provide full or partial salary for a period before dropping to SMP.
Check your contract, staff handbook or HR policy for:
- how much enhanced maternity pay you receive;
- how long it lasts;
- when it changes to statutory pay;
- whether you must return to work for a specified period afterwards; and
- whether any enhanced amount must be repaid if you do not return.
ACAS says statutory maternity pay itself does not have to be repaid. A contract can, however, require repayment of some or all of the enhanced amount above SMP if its terms clearly say so.
Read ACAS guidance on maternity pay and enhanced schemes.
If you do not qualify for SMP: check Maternity Allowance
Maternity Allowance can provide support for some people who cannot get SMP, including people who are employed, recently stopped working or self-employed.
For an employed or recently employed claimant who qualifies, the current maximum is £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for up to 39 weeks.
One key eligibility route requires employment for at least 26 weeks during the 66 weeks before the baby is due and earnings of at least £30 a week in at least 13 weeks. Self-employed rules are different and depend partly on National Insurance contributions.
Check Maternity Allowance on GOV.UK.
The maternity-pay timeline: where is your income drop?
Instead of planning maternity leave as one 9- or 12-month block, split it into the periods where your income actually changes.
Before maternity leave
Find your normal take-home pay, employer maternity policy, expected SMP or Maternity Allowance, partner or other household income, and planned length of leave. This gives you a baseline.
Weeks 1–6
If you receive SMP, this period is normally 90% of your average weekly earnings. If your employer offers enhanced maternity pay, your actual income may be higher.
Weeks 7–39
The statutory amount drops to £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. For many households this is the point where the budget changes substantially.
Weeks 40–52
SMP has ended. If you take the full 52 weeks of statutory maternity leave, the final 13 weeks do not carry SMP. Your actual household position could still include partner income, savings, annual leave, benefits for which you qualify or other permitted income, so do not label these automatically as “zero-income months”.
Build your maternity-leave budget
The MoneySavvyUK Maternity Gap: calculate your shortfall
The useful number is not simply your maternity pay. It is the difference between the money your household expects to have and the money it needs to spend.
| Budget line | Normal month | Early maternity leave | Later paid leave | Possible unpaid leave |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your take-home income | £___ | £___ | £___ | £___ |
| Partner/other household income | £___ | £___ | £___ | £___ |
| Other reliable income | £___ | £___ | £___ | £___ |
| Total household income | £___ | £___ | £___ | £___ |
| Essential household bills | £___ | £___ | £___ | £___ |
| Food/transport | £___ | £___ | £___ | £___ |
| Recurring baby costs | £___ | £___ | £___ | £___ |
| Other planned spending | £___ | £___ | £___ | £___ |
| Monthly surplus / shortfall | £___ | £___ | £___ | £___ |
Do this with your actual expected payslips rather than treating £194.32 × four as a precise monthly figure. Weekly statutory pay and payroll dates do not map neatly onto identical calendar months, and tax deductions can also affect take-home pay.
How much should you save before maternity leave?
There is no responsible universal answer such as “every parent needs £5,000”. A household with generous enhanced maternity pay has a very different gap from someone taking several unpaid months.
A more useful personal framework is:
Total of your forecast maternity-leave shortfalls
+ essential one-off costs you have chosen to pay before/during leave
+ an emergency buffer you are comfortable with
= your personal maternity savings target
If your monthly forecast remains positive, you may not need a large maternity-specific savings pot. If it turns negative in later months, add those forecast negative months together. That gives you a much more meaningful starting target than a generic internet number.
For the shopping side of the plan, see our Budget Baby Essentials UK guide for what you actually need, what can wait and where second-hand purchases may be appropriate.
Other money and employment factors to check
Annual leave can change your maternity-leave cash flow
You continue to build up statutory holiday entitlement during maternity leave, including bank holidays. You cannot take annual leave and maternity leave at the same time, but annual leave can be taken before or after maternity leave.
That can matter financially. Some employees agree with their employer to use accrued paid holiday immediately before or after maternity leave, which can reduce the length of an otherwise unpaid period. Discuss the dates and carry-over rules with your employer rather than assuming how it will work.
Read ACAS guidance on holiday and maternity leave.
Keeping in Touch days: do not budget them as guaranteed income
You can agree to work up to 10 Keeping in Touch (KIT) days during maternity leave without bringing the leave to an end. KIT days require agreement between you and your employer.
The pay arrangements should therefore be checked with your employer before including KIT income in your budget. Treating ten days of normal salary as guaranteed would be unsafe planning.
Check ACAS guidance on KIT days.
What happens to your workplace pension?
During paid maternity leave, you and your employer continue pension contributions. GOV.UK says your contribution is based on your actual pay during the paid leave, while the employer contribution is based on the salary you would have received if you were not on leave.
If you are unpaid, your employer still has to make contributions during the first 26 weeks of maternity leave; what happens later can depend on your contract. Check your scheme rather than assuming contributions simply stop.
Check GOV.UK workplace pension guidance.
What if you are made redundant or change jobs?
Pregnancy and maternity come with specific employment protections. ACAS says the enhanced redundancy-protection period generally starts when you tell your employer you are pregnant and can continue until 18 months from the baby’s birth, with rules about suitable alternative vacancies where one exists.
Job changes can also affect SMP because its eligibility depends on continuous employment with the same employer through the qualifying week. If you are considering changing jobs during pregnancy, check the dates and your entitlement before making financial assumptions.
This is an area where individual circumstances matter, so use ACAS/GOV.UK guidance or obtain appropriate employment advice for your situation.
Plan the financial return to work
Your maternity budget should not necessarily end on your return date. Add a separate return-to-work forecast covering childcare, commuting, work clothes or meals, and any change in working hours.
Tax-Free Childcare may help eligible families, but eligibility depends on circumstances including work and income. Do not assume maternity leave itself automatically makes you ineligible. Check the current government childcare support before modelling your return-to-work costs.
Check Tax-Free Childcare on GOV.UK.
Before maternity leave: your practical money checklist
- Get your employer’s maternity policy.
- Confirm whether you qualify for SMP or need to investigate Maternity Allowance.
- Ask HR/payroll for an estimated maternity-pay schedule if available.
- Mark every date where your pay changes.
- Calculate normal essential household spending.
- Add realistic recurring baby costs.
- Include partner/other reliable household income.
- Calculate each month’s surplus or shortfall.
- Add the negative months to estimate your maternity gap.
- Decide what emergency buffer feels appropriate for your household.
- Check annual leave, pension and enhanced-pay repayment terms.
- Run a second budget for your return to work, including childcare and commuting.
Other MoneySavvyUK pregnancy and baby guides
If you are still building the rest of your pregnancy budget, these guides cover different parts of the journey:
- Pregnancy & Baby Freebies UK 2026 — commercial baby clubs, welcome gifts and samples.
- Pregnancy Benefits, Grants & NHS Entitlements UK 2026 — Healthy Start, Sure Start, NHS help, Child Benefit and related support.
Frequently asked questions
How long is maternity pay in the UK?
Eligible employees can receive Statutory Maternity Pay for up to 39 weeks. Statutory Maternity Leave can last up to 52 weeks, so the two periods are not the same.
How much is Statutory Maternity Pay in 2026/27?
The first six weeks are 90% of average weekly earnings. The following 33 weeks are £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
How much should I save before maternity leave?
There is no single amount suitable for everyone. Calculate your expected household shortfall month by month, add essential one-off costs and then choose an emergency buffer appropriate to your circumstances.
What if I do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay?
Your employer should provide form SMP1 explaining why. You may be eligible for Maternity Allowance, which has different work and earnings rules.
Are the final 13 weeks of a full year’s maternity leave unpaid?
SMP only lasts up to 39 weeks, so there is no SMP for weeks 40–52. That does not necessarily mean the household has no income: your circumstances may include partner income, annual leave, savings, benefits or other sources.
Do I have to repay maternity pay if I do not return to work?
You do not repay statutory maternity pay simply because you do not return. An employer may have contractual repayment conditions for enhanced maternity pay above the statutory amount, so check your policy.
Last verified: 1 October 2026. Statutory rates and employment rules can change. Check GOV.UK, ACAS and your employer’s current maternity policy before relying on a figure or making an employment decision.