Maternity pay in the UK: how much you get and how to claim

If you're pregnant and working in the UK, you almost certainly get some form of maternity pay: Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) from your employer, or Maternity Allowance from the government if SMP doesn't fit your situation. The amounts look fixed, but they aren't quite. Your first six weeks are based on what you earned in one specific 8-week window, and the paperwork runs on a firm deadline.

The one thing to remember: tell your employer you're pregnant, in writing, by around week 25. That's the official deadline, and it's what gets you your maternity leave and SMP.

In Kinvera, the "Tell your employer" mission shows up from week 15, comfortably before the deadline.

The quick answer

• SMP: 90% of your average weekly earnings for 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week (or 90% of your earnings, if lower) for 33 weeks. Paid through payroll, with tax and National Insurance taken off
• Maternity Allowance: up to £194.32 a week for up to 39 weeks, tax-free, for people who don't qualify for SMP
• Leave: 52 weeks for employees, however long you've worked there. It can start from around week 29
• Deadline: tell your employer in writing by around week 25
• Proof: a MAT B1 certificate from your midwife or GP, available from 20 weeks before your due date

SMP or Maternity Allowance?

You get SMP if you're an employee, you've worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks by around week 25 of your pregnancy (in practice, you were already in the job at roughly the time you got pregnant), and you earn on average at least £129 a week.

If your employer decides you don't qualify, they must give you form SMP1 within 7 days explaining why. Keep it, because it goes with your Maternity Allowance claim.

You get Maternity Allowance instead if you were employed or self-employed for at least 26 of the 66 weeks before your baby is due, and, if employed, earned at least £30 a week in any 13 of them. That covers people who changed jobs, earn under £129 a week, recently stopped working, or are self-employed.

Self-employed? Check your National Insurance first. With profits at or above the small profits threshold (£7,105 for 2026/27), you get the full £194.32 a week. Below it, you get £27 a week unless you pay voluntary Class 2 contributions for 13 weeks. Over 39 weeks that gap is worth about £6,500, for a small fraction of the cost. Working Families explains this route well.

The 8 weeks that set your pay

Your first six weeks of SMP are 90% of your average weekly earnings in the "relevant period": usually the 8 weeks up to your last payday before the week 25 deadline. That's roughly weeks 17 to 25 of your pregnancy.

Everything in that window with normal National Insurance on it counts, including overtime, commission and bonuses. So:

• A bonus paid inside the window raises your SMP. On £3,000 a month, your first six weeks are £623.08 a week. A £1,500 bonus in the window adds £155.77 a week, about £935 in total
• Salary sacrifice inside the window lowers it, because sacrificed pay has no National Insurance on it. If you're about to join a pension, cycle-to-work or car scheme, ask HR about the timing
• A pay rise from the start of the window to the end of your leave counts too, even a backdated one, and your SMP has to be recalculated. If your team gets a rise while you're off, check yours was included

On £3,000 a month, the full 39 weeks come to £10,151.04 before tax. The last 13 weeks of leave are unpaid unless your employer pays more. The government's maternity pay calculator is built for employers, but works just as well for checking your own numbers.

Many employers do pay more, sometimes full pay for months. Check your contract or staff handbook, including the small print: some schemes ask you to come back for a set period or repay the extra.

How to give notice, step by step

1. Work out your exact deadline. "Around week 25" is close, but the official rule is 15 weeks before the week your baby is due. Take the Sunday on or before your due date, count back 15 weeks, and the Saturday after that is your last day. Due on Wednesday 21 April 2027? That Sunday is 18 April, and your deadline is Saturday 9 January
2. Pick a leave start date. The earliest is around week 29, 11 weeks before the week your baby is due. If plans change, tell your employer as early as you can
3. Tell your employer in writing: your due date, your start date, and that you're claiming SMP, with at least 28 days' notice of when SMP should start. The template below covers it
4. Hand over your MAT B1 once your midwife or GP gives it to you from week 20. A letter from them on headed paper works too. Since April 2026, a scan or photo of the MAT B1 is accepted in England, Wales and Scotland, so you can simply email it
5. Wait for confirmation. Your employer must confirm your leave dates in writing within 28 days, plus how much SMP you'll get and when

Telling your employer also switches on paid time off for antenatal appointments, a risk assessment of your work, and redundancy protection until 18 months after the birth. Your rights when working while pregnant has the full list.

Claiming Maternity Allowance

Claim from week 26 using the MA1 form. Fill it in on a computer (it doesn't work on a phone or tablet), print it and post it. Send your MAT B1, original payslips, and your SMP1 if your employer refused SMP. Claim within 3 months of the date you want it to start, or you lose some of it. A decision usually comes within 20 working days.

Common problems

You think your SMP is wrong. Ask your employer to explain the figure. If you still disagree, HMRC's Statutory Payment Disputes Team can step in.

The baby arrives early. Your leave starts the day after the birth, and you can still get SMP. Send proof of the birth as soon as you can.

You're treated badly because you're pregnant. That's discrimination, and it's against the law. Maternity Action and Working Families both offer free advice, and Acas can help with a dispute at work.

After the birth comes Child Benefit, which is only backdated 3 months. Our Child Benefit guide covers who should claim it.

Template: telling your employer

Send this by email so you have a dated record. Fill in the brackets, and delete the MAT B1 line you don't need.

Subject: Pregnancy and maternity leave notification

Dear [manager's name],

I'm writing to let you know that I'm pregnant. My baby is due on [date], and I would like my maternity leave to start on [date].

I would also like to claim Statutory Maternity Pay from the same date. [My MAT B1 certificate is attached.] [I will send my MAT B1 certificate as soon as I receive it.]

Could you please confirm my leave dates in writing, and let me know about any enhanced maternity pay the company offers and its conditions?

Kind regards, [your name]

Frequently asked questions

How much is Statutory Maternity Pay in 2026/27? 90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for the next 33 weeks.

When do I have to tell my employer I'm pregnant? By around week 25 of your pregnancy. The official deadline is 15 weeks before the week your baby is due. You can tell them earlier, and your protections start from the day you do.

Can I get maternity pay if I've just started a new job? Probably not SMP, because it needs 26 weeks with the same employer. But you'll likely get Maternity Allowance if you worked at least 26 of the 66 weeks before your baby is due and earned at least £30 a week in 13 of them.

Is maternity pay taxed? SMP is taxed and has National Insurance taken off through payroll. Maternity Allowance is tax-free.

Can I get Maternity Allowance if I'm self-employed? Yes, if you were registered self-employed for at least 26 of the 66 weeks before your baby is due. Whether you get £194.32 or £27 a week depends on your Class 2 National Insurance record, which you can top up voluntarily.