NHS Maternity Pay Calculator: Work Out Your Leave Pay

Last updated: 28 September 2026 · Figures verified against the NHS Employers 2026/27 pay circular.

By the NHS Bands Pay editorial team

The calculator

How the 52 weeks break down

The NHS occupational scheme sits on top of the statutory framework. The 52 weeks of maternity leave divide into four pay phases:

The SMP flat rate of £194.32 a week has applied since April 2026 (up from £187.18). Note that the statutory scheme's own first 6 weeks pay 90% of average weekly earnings — but for occupational staff this is absorbed into the 8 weeks at full pay, since full pay is always at least 90%. SMP runs for 39 weeks in total; the final 13 weeks of leave are unpaid by everyone.

The half-pay cap most people miss

For weeks 9–26, the Agenda for Change terms say you receive half of full pay plus any SMP receivable, providing the total receivable does not exceed full pay. In practice:

• A full-time Band 5 on £34,592 has weekly pay of £662.68; half pay (£331.34) plus SMP (£194.32) is £525.66 — well under full pay, so the cap never bites. This is why most NHS calculators never mention it.
• But a part-time staff member on £12,000 a year has weekly pay of £229.89; half pay (£114.94) plus SMP (£194.32) would be £309.26 — above full pay, so the cap cuts the weeks 9–26 payment to £229.89 a week. The occupational top-up effectively disappears.

The calculator above applies this cap automatically and flags when it has. If you are part-time or on a low salary, this is the number to check with payroll — it can materially change your budget for the middle stretch of leave.

Who qualifies for the occupational scheme

To receive the occupational (full/half pay) element you need 12 months' continuous NHS service by the beginning of the 11th week before your expected week of childbirth, and you must confirm in writing that you intend to return to NHS employment. The fallbacks:

• Less than 12 months' service: you still get 52 weeks' statutory maternity leave. You receive SMP if you meet the statutory test — 26 weeks' continuous service with the same employer into the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth, with average earnings above the lower earnings limit (£129/week from April 2026). Without SMP, you may claim Maternity Allowance from the DWP.
• Statutory-only pay is: 6 weeks at 90% of average weekly earnings, then 33 weeks at the flat rate or 90% of earnings, whichever is lower — 39 weeks total, then unpaid.
• Partners get maternity support leave (paternity leave): 2 weeks at full pay for eligible staff — see the main maternity pay guide for detail.

What "full pay" is based on

"Full pay" for maternity purposes is your average weekly earnings, including regular enhancements you normally receive — unsocial hours enhancements, regular overtime that is genuinely contractual or reliably recurring, and London weighting (HCAS). This is why the calculator's use of basic salary is only an approximation: for shift workers, average earnings can be meaningfully higher. Payroll calculates this from your actual earnings record, so ask them for the figure they are using — it is the single biggest source of maternity-pay surprises.

Returning to work — and the repayment rule

The occupational top-up is conditional: you must return to NHS employment for at least 3 months (with any NHS employer, not necessarily the same trust). If you do not return:

• You must repay the occupational element — the difference between what you received and what you would have received on SMP alone.
• You keep your Statutory Maternity Pay — that part is never repayable.

If you are unsure whether you will return, talk to HR before your leave ends rather than after the repayment demand arrives. The 3-month return period and the repayment are standard across trusts — but get the exact terms of your trust's policy in writing.

Maternity pay is paid through the normal monthly payroll — see NHS pay dates for when it lands — and student loan deductions are assessed per pay period, so they usually stop once your monthly pay drops below the threshold.

KIT days, annual leave and pay rises

• KIT days: up to 10 keeping-in-touch days — paid work during leave (training, team meetings) — without ending your leave. Work an 11th day and your maternity leave and pay end.
• Annual leave: continues to accrue during maternity leave, including bank holidays. Many staff tag accrued leave onto the end of maternity leave to extend paid time at home — agree the arrangement with your manager early.
• Pay awards: Agenda for Change uplifts apply to staff on maternity leave. If the annual award is backdated to a date within your paid maternity period, your occupational pay is recalculated — the 2026/27 3.3% uplift applies to staff on leave just as it does to everyone else.
• Pension: you remain in the NHS pension scheme during paid leave, with contributions based on the pay you actually receive. During unpaid weeks no contributions are taken unless you make separate arrangements.

Worked examples

Notice the part-time row: the half-pay cap means weeks 9–26 pay full pay (£229.89/week) rather than half pay + SMP (£309.26). For comparison, statutory SMP only — for staff with under 12 months' service — pays 6 weeks at 90% of average weekly earnings then 33 weeks at the flat rate: a Band 7 top salary of £56,515 would give roughly £12,259 across the 39 paid weeks, with no occupational element.

Staff in Scotland have their own Section 15 provisions with the same overall structure. For the complete guide, see NHS maternity pay explained.