How we work out the figures

Money decisions deserve numbers you can trust. Here's how ours are made, and where they stop.

Tested against GOV.UK

Our Statutory Maternity Pay rules are checked against results from GOV.UK's official maternity and paternity calculator for employers. That includes the key dates, how average weekly earnings are worked out, rounding up to the penny, the lower earnings limit, and how a new rate applies from April. Every rate comes from GOV.UK's published rates and thresholds and is checked each April.

Take-home pay

Income Tax is estimated the way payroll does it: cumulatively across the tax year on a standard 1257L tax code, using the England, Wales & NI or Scottish bands. National Insurance is employee Class 1 (category A). Pension contributions are treated as taken before tax. Child Benefit is added from the month after your due date.

What we don't cover

• Student loan repayments, salary sacrifice, benefits in kind or non-standard tax codes
• More than one job, or self-employed Maternity Allowance amounts
• Babies born 15 or more weeks early (your employer works these out by hand)
• Shared Parental Pay and keeping-in-touch day pay
• Rates after 2026/27, which aren't published yet: we use 2026/27 rates until they are

Not financial advice

Everything here is an estimate to help you plan. Your employer's payroll may differ slightly. Always check your actual pay with your employer, and the rules on GOV.UK.