Statutory Maternity Pay Rates April 2026: New UK SMP Amounts, Process and Calculator
If you’re asking how much you will get on maternity leave in the UK in 2026, the answer depends on your earnings, your eligibility, and when your maternity leave starts. From 6 April 2026, the standard weekly rate for Statutory Maternity Pay rises to £194.32, while the first 6 weeks remain payable at 90% of average weekly earnings. The earnings threshold for SMP also rises to £129 a week.
This matters for both employees planning their finances and employers updating payroll, policies and maternity communications for the 2026/27 tax year. It also sits alongside other key statutory uplifts, including National Living Wage rising to £12.71 for workers aged 21 and over from April 2026.
How Much Will I Get on Maternity Leave UK 2026?
If you’re wondering “how much maternity pay will I get in 2026?”, the basic SMP structure is:
- First 6 weeks: 90% of your average weekly earnings
- Next 33 weeks: £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower
However, your actual maternity pay can vary a lot depending on your normal pay. Someone on a lower weekly wage may receive less than the standard weekly rate after week 6, because SMP is capped at the lower of the two figures.
👉 Use the Statutory Maternity Pay Calculator to get a personalised estimate of your maternity pay over the full 39-week SMP period.
That gives you a much clearer answer than relying on headline rates alone.
New Statutory Maternity Pay Rates from April 2026
From 6 April 2026, Statutory Maternity Pay works as follows:
- Weeks 1 to 6: 90% of average weekly earnings
- Weeks 7 to 39: £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower
- SMP duration: up to 39 weeks
- Statutory maternity leave: up to 52 weeks in total
To qualify for SMP, an employee must usually:
- have been continuously employed by the same employer for at least 26 weeks into the qualifying week
- earn at least £129 a week on average
- give the required notice and evidence, usually including a MATB1 certificate
Example Maternity Pay Calculations for 2026
These examples show why using a calculator is useful.
Example 1: Annual salary £20,000
A £20,000 salary is roughly £384.62 a week before tax.
- First 6 weeks: 90% = about £346.16 a week
- Next 33 weeks: standard SMP rate of £194.32 a week applies, because it is lower than 90% of weekly earnings
Example 2: Annual salary £30,000
A £30,000 salary is roughly £576.92 a week before tax.
- First 6 weeks: 90% = about £519.23 a week
- Next 33 weeks: £194.32 a week
Example 3: Annual salary £10,000
A £10,000 salary is roughly £192.31 a week before tax.
- First 6 weeks: 90% = about £173.08 a week
- Next 33 weeks: around £173.08 a week, because 90% of earnings is lower than the standard SMP rate
These examples show why two employees can have very different maternity pay even though the official weekly SMP rate is the same.
👉 Check exactly how much maternity pay you could receive with your own pay details.
How Statutory Maternity Pay Is Calculated
SMP is based on average weekly earnings, usually worked out over the relevant 8-week earnings period set by HMRC payroll rules. The first 6 weeks are always paid at 90% of average weekly earnings. After that, payment switches to the lower of:
- £194.32 a week
- 90% of average weekly earnings
This is why getting the average weekly earnings figure right is so important. A small payroll error can affect the total pay received across the whole maternity pay period.
Statutory Maternity Pay Process: Step by Step
1. Tell your employer in time
Employees usually need to tell their employer they are pregnant, when the baby is due, and when they want maternity leave to start by the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth. They must also provide a MATB1 certificate when asked.
2. Employer checks eligibility
The employer then checks the qualifying conditions, including continuity of employment and average weekly earnings.
3. Maternity pay starts through payroll
SMP is paid in the same way as wages, with tax and National Insurance deducted.
4. Employer reclaims SMP from HMRC
Most employers can reclaim 92% of SMP paid. Small employers may be able to reclaim 103% if they qualify for Small Employers’ Relief.
5. If SMP is not available
If an employee does not qualify for SMP, they may be able to claim Maternity Allowance instead.
👉 Use the Statutory Maternity Pay Calculator to get a personalised estimate of your maternity pay over the full 39-week SMP period.
Other Key Statutory Uplifts in 2026
Statutory maternity pay is not the only rate increasing in April 2026.
National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage
From April 2026:
- Age 21 and over: £12.71
- Age 18 to 20: £10.85
- Age under 18: £8.00
- Apprentice rate: £8.00
👉 Use the National Minimum Wage Calculator to check current pay rates quickly.
Other family-related statutory payments
The standard weekly rate for the following also rises to £194.32 from April 2026:
- Statutory Paternity Pay
- Statutory Adoption Pay
- Statutory Shared Parental Pay
- Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay
- Statutory Neonatal Care Pay
Statutory Sick Pay
Statutory Sick Pay also rises for 2026/27 under the annual employer rates and thresholds update.
Common SMP Mistakes to Avoid
A lot of maternity pay confusion comes from the same few mistakes:
- assuming everyone gets the full £194.32 a week
- forgetting the £129 a week earnings threshold
- miscalculating average weekly earnings
- mixing up maternity leave entitlement with maternity pay entitlement
That is why a calculator is often the safest starting point.
👉 Calculate your statutory maternity pay here before you make financial plans or update payroll figures.
What the 2026 SMP Increase Means
For employees, the April 2026 increase means slightly more financial support during the paid part of maternity leave. For employers, it means payroll systems, policy documents and maternity guidance should all be refreshed for the new tax year. At the same time, the rise in National Living Wage means low-paid employees may also see a higher baseline wage before maternity calculations are done.
Final Thoughts
The key maternity pay figures for April 2026 are straightforward once you break them down:
- first 6 weeks at 90% of average weekly earnings
- next 33 weeks at £194.32 a week or 90% of earnings, whichever is lower
- earnings threshold increasing to £129 a week
But the amount an individual employee actually receives can vary significantly depending on their pay.
👉 Use the Statutory Maternity Pay Calculator to work out your entitlement
And for wider 2026 payroll updates:
👉 Check the latest wage rates with the National Minimum Wage Calculator
