Employment

Maternity Pay in the UK: What You'll Actually Get (Not What You Hope You'll Get)

Finding out you're pregnant is emotional enough without having to immediately start worrying about money. But let's be honest — most of us do. How much will I get paid? For how long? Can we actually afford this?

I'm going to break down exactly what you're entitled to, because the government websites make this way more confusing than it needs to be.

The Two Types of Maternity Pay

There's Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), which your employer pays, and Maternity Allowance (MA), which the government pays if you don't qualify for SMP. You can't get both. And SMP is usually better, so let's start there.

Statutory Maternity Pay: The Numbers

SMP lasts 39 weeks and works like this:
First 6 weeks: 90% of your average weekly earnings. No cap. If you earn £1,000 a week, you get £900.
Next 33 weeks: £184.03 per week, OR 90% of your earnings — whichever is lower. For most people, the maths looks like this:

  • 6 weeks at 90% of salary
  • 33 weeks at £184.03
  • Total: varies wildly depending on your salary

Someone earning £30,000 (about £577/week) would get roughly:

  • 6 weeks × £519 = £3,114
  • 33 weeks × £184 = £6,072
  • Total SMP: around £9,186

The drop after week 6 is brutal. You go from 90% of your salary to less than £200 a week overnight. This is the bit that catches people out — they budget based on the first 6 weeks and then panic when the real numbers kick in. Not exactly living the dream, is it?

Do You Qualify for SMP?

You need to tick all these boxes:
26 weeks of service by the 15th week before your due date (that's about 7 months pregnant).
Earning at least £123 per week on average during the 8 weeks before that qualifying week.
Still employed at the 11th week before your due date (or already had the baby).
Given proper notice — at least 15 weeks before your due date. If you don't qualify, you might still get Maternity Allowance.

When Does It Start?

You choose when your maternity leave starts, within limits:
Earliest: 11 weeks before your due date.
Latest: The day after your baby is born.
Automatic trigger: If you're off sick with a pregnancy-related illness in the 4 weeks before your due date, maternity leave starts automatically. Most people start a week or two before their due date. But it's your call.

What If You Don't Qualify for SMP?

Maternity Allowance is the backup option. You might get it if:

  • You've been employed or self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your due date
  • You earned at least £30 per week in at least 13 of those weeks

The rate is £184.03 per week (or 90% of earnings if lower) for up to 39 weeks. It's not as good as SMP for higher earners because there's no "90% for 6 weeks" bit. But it's something.

Enhanced Maternity Pay: The Lottery

Here's where your employer makes a massive difference. Some companies offer:

  • Full pay for 3-6 months
  • Half pay on top of SMP for several months
  • Generous packages that make SMP look pathetic

Others offer statutory minimum. Nothing extra. The NHS, for example, typically gives 8 weeks full pay plus 18 weeks half pay plus SMP. That's significantly better than statutory alone.

Check your contract or staff handbook. Ask HR. This information should be available to you.

One catch: Enhanced maternity pay often comes with strings. Many employers require you to return to work for a minimum period (usually 3-6 months) or pay some of it back. Read the fine print.

The Money Timeline

Before baby arrives:

  • Give notice to employer (15 weeks before due date)
  • Provide MATB1 certificate from midwife (available from 20 weeks)
  • Confirm your start date

Once maternity leave starts:

  • SMP paid through normal payroll
  • Tax and NI deducted as usual
  • Pension contributions may continue (check your scheme)

After 39 weeks:

  • SMP stops
  • You can stay on unpaid maternity leave for another 13 weeks
  • Or return to work
  • Or start Shared Parental Leave

The Stuff Nobody Mentions

Your holiday keeps accruing. You build up annual leave the whole time you're on maternity leave. That's potentially 5+ weeks of holiday waiting for you when you get back.

You can work up to 10 "keeping in touch" days without affecting your SMP. Useful for important meetings, training, or just staying connected. Your employer pays you for these days on top of SMP.

Sick during maternity leave? You stay on maternity pay. You can't switch to sick pay.

Made redundant while pregnant? You have extra protection. If there's a suitable alternative vacancy, you must be offered it first — ahead of other employees.

Planning Ahead

The financial hit of maternity leave is real. Some things that help:

  • Start saving before you get pregnant if possible
  • Check if your employer offers salary sacrifice schemes that could boost your take-home during leave
  • Look into Tax-Free Childcare and other support for when you return
  • Consider Shared Parental Leave if your partner's employer offers better pay

The Honest Summary

Statutory maternity pay isn't generous. After the first 6 weeks, you're looking at less than £200 a week for most of your leave. That's tough for many families. But it's also not nothing. Combined with any enhanced pay from your employer, careful budgeting, and partner income, most people make it work.

Know what you're entitled to. Plan for the drop in income. And don't be afraid to ask your employer about their maternity policy — it's not a secret, and you have every right to know.

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