Council maternity pay calculator, after tax
See how the national council maternity scheme changes your income, and what the paid and unpaid months could mean for your budget.
Check this scheme applies to you
For local government employees in England and Wales on NJC Green Book terms. Councils can offer better local schemes. Scottish, Northern Irish, chief officer and other agreements are not represented by this preset.
- Your pay, week by weekOccupational pay and SMP, with a separate service check
- A monthly take-home estimateIncluding tax, NI and an editable pension contribution
- Your details stay privateNo account needed for the calculator
Council staff maternity pay: the scheme modelled
These stages assume the relevant occupational conditions and separate SMP rules are met.
SMP is included.
Subject to returning; capped at full pay.
If eligible for SMP.
Unless your council offers more.
The calculator uses 2026/27 statutory and pension assumptions beyond this year where future rates are unknown. Pay rises, salary sacrifice, student loans, Maternity Allowance, shared parental leave, pension benefit accrual and one-off payroll adjustments are not modelled. A simplified fixed pension percentage is applied to paid earnings. Check your actual policy and payslip.
Council staff maternity pay questions
What is the Green Book service requirement?
The national occupational scheme normally needs one year of continuous local government service by the 11th week before the expected birth week. The calculator checks that date. Your employer still needs to confirm recognised service, notice and evidence.
Does every council offer this exact scheme?
No. The NJC scheme is a baseline and local agreements may be more generous, including periods of full pay. If your contract differs, use the general calculator’s employer-pay stages instead of assuming this preset is your policy.
What happens if I do not go back?
The conditional 12 weeks of half pay normally requires a return to local authority employment for three months. If you do not return, that occupational element may be reclaimed at the authority’s discretion; SMP is not repayable. Choose No to leave the conditional half pay out.
What happens to LGPS contributions?
The estimate applies your selected percentage to paid earnings and deducts it before income tax. Pension benefits can use assumed pensionable pay and unpaid-leave rules which are not modelled here. Ask your fund about benefit protection or buying back any lost pension.
Can I use a different employer scheme?
Yes. Use the general maternity pay calculator to enter the stages in your own policy. The figures here are estimates for the named agreement, not an entitlement decision.
Sources and assumptions
Reviewed 24 October 2026. We use national agreements and scheme-provider guidance; your employer must confirm individual entitlement.