NHS Maternity Pay Calculator 2026/27
NHS maternity pay is far better than the statutory minimum — if you have 12 months' service. It's paid as 8 weeks at full pay, then 18 weeks at half pay plus SMP, then 13 weeks of SMP. Pick your band below and see your pay week by week, your total, and exactly how much the occupational scheme adds.
Last updated November 2026 · Rules checked against the NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook and GOV.UK in November 2026. Next scheduled check: April 2027 rate changes.
Calculate your maternity pay
| Weeks 1–8 — full pay | · |
| Weeks 9–26 — half pay + SMP | · |
| Weeks 27–39 — SMP only | · |
| Weeks 40–52 — unpaid | · |
| Total (occupational + SMP) |
Statutory-only pay for the same salary would be — the NHS occupational scheme adds . Figures are gross, before tax and National Insurance, and assume you qualify for occupational pay (see below).
Worked example: Band 5, entry point
A full-time Band 5 nurse on £32,073 (average weekly earnings £615.10) with 12 months' service receives:
| Weeks 1–8 — full pay | 8 × £615.10 = £4,920.78 |
| Weeks 9–26 — half pay (£307.55) + SMP (£194.32) | 18 × £501.87 = £9,033.63 |
| Weeks 27–39 — SMP only | 13 × £194.32 = £2,526.16 |
| Weeks 40–52 — unpaid | £0.00 |
| Total maternity pay | £16,480.57 |
On statutory pay alone the same nurse would receive £9,734.08. The occupational scheme is worth an extra £6,746.48 — which is why the 12-month service rule matters. A Band 6 at entry point receives £19,051.61 in total.
Assumptions, stated plainly: occupational maternity pay under Section 15 of the NHS Terms and Conditions; pension is paid on the pay you actually receive; tax uses the standard 1257L code.
How NHS maternity pay works
Two schemes, paid together. Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is the legal minimum: 90% of your average weekly earnings for 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week (2026/27 rate) or 90% of earnings if lower, for 33 weeks. Occupational Maternity Pay (OMP) is the NHS top-up set by Section 15 of the NHS Terms and Conditions. Your payslip combines them — OMP never replaces SMP, it builds on it, and the combined amount is never less than SMP alone.
Who gets the occupational scheme. You need 12 months' continuous service with one or more NHS employers by the start of the 11th week before your expected week of childbirth, and you must intend to return to NHS work for at least 3 months afterwards. Your pay is based on your average weekly earnings in the eight weeks up to your qualifying week. Leave itself is 52 weeks; you can start it as early as 11 weeks before your due week, and you can work up to 10 keeping-in-touch (KIT) days without affecting your pay.
Less than 12 months' service? You will usually still get SMP if you have 26 weeks' service with your employer by the qualifying week and average earnings of at least £129 a week. If you don't qualify for SMP, you may be able to claim Maternity Allowance from the DWP instead. The calculator's "statutory-only" figure shows what SMP alone would pay.
Two warnings. First, if you don't return to NHS work for at least 3 months after leave, you must repay the occupational part — SMP is never repayable. Second, by agreement with your employer the occupational pay can be spread differently — for example as a fixed amount spread equally over your leave (paragraph 15.22). The total is the same either way; on this example that's an average of £1,373.38 a month.
More NHS pay tools
Maternity pay — frequently asked questions
How much is NHS maternity pay?
8 weeks at full pay, 18 weeks at half pay plus SMP (never more than full pay in total), 13 weeks at SMP only (£194.32 a week in 2026/27), then 13 unpaid weeks. A Band 5 nurse at entry point gets £16,480.57 in total; a Band 6 gets £19,051.61.
Who qualifies for NHS occupational maternity pay?
You need 12 months' continuous NHS service by the start of the 11th week before your expected week of childbirth, and to intend to return to NHS work for at least 3 months. SMP alone needs 26 weeks' service and average earnings of at least £129 a week.
Do I have to repay NHS maternity pay if I don't return?
The occupational top-up is repayable if you don't return to NHS work for at least 3 months after your leave. SMP is never repayable.
Can NHS maternity pay be spread out evenly?
Yes — by prior agreement with your employer under paragraph 15.22, for example as a fixed amount spread equally over the leave. The total doesn't change.
Is NHS maternity pay taxed?
Yes — it goes through payroll and is subject to income tax and National Insurance as usual, so these figures are gross. Your tax will usually be lower than normal because your earnings across the year are lower.
How every figure on this site is calculated and checked: our methodology.