NHS maternity pay calculator, after tax
See your NHS maternity pay week by week, and what you'll actually take home each month after tax, NI and your NHS pension.
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Built on Section 15 of the NHS handbook8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay plus SMP, then SMP
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Real take-home, not just grossTax, NI and your NHS pension tier, month by month
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NHS maternity pay in 2026/27
If you qualify for occupational maternity pay under Agenda for Change, your 52 weeks of leave are paid like this.
Your SMP is part of this, not added on top.
Never more than your full pay.
£194.32 a week, or 90% of your average pay if lower.
Your job is protected. Plan for these months early.
"Full pay" is your average weekly earnings, worked out the same way as SMP. A pay award or higher pay point before your leave is treated as if it applied for the whole calculation period. Source: NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, Section 15 (paragraphs 15.21–15.23).
NHS maternity pay questions
Do I qualify for NHS maternity pay?
Under paragraph 15.15 you need:
- 12 months' continuous service with one or more NHS employers at the beginning of the 11th week before your expected week of childbirth;
- to tell your employer in writing, before the end of the 15th week before, that you're taking maternity leave, when you want it to start, and that you intend to return to NHS work for at least 3 months; and
- a MATB1 form from your midwife or GP.
If you don't qualify, you may still get Statutory Maternity Pay. The calculator checks both.
Is the 8 weeks' full pay on top of SMP?
No. For the first 8 weeks you get full pay less any SMP, so your SMP makes up part of your full pay. For the next 18 weeks you get half pay plus SMP, as long as the total doesn't go above your full pay.
What if I don't go back to the NHS?
If you said you'd return but don't return to NHS work within 15 months of the start of your maternity leave, your employer can ask you to repay the occupational part of your maternity pay. You never repay SMP. Employers can waive this where repaying would cause undue hardship (paragraph 15.83).
If you already know you won't return, you get pay equal to SMP instead (paragraph 15.100).
Can I spread my maternity pay over 9, 10 or 12 months?
By prior agreement with your employer, occupational maternity pay can be paid in a different way, such as a fixed amount spread equally over your leave (paragraph 15.22). The total is the same; it just evens out your income. Choose a spread option in the calculator to see the monthly effect.
Do unsocial hours payments count?
Yes. Under Agenda for Change, unsocial hours payments are pensionable and count towards contractual maternity pay. Include your regular unsocial hours in the pay you enter, or use your payslips for the most accurate result.
What happens to my NHS pension on maternity leave?
During paid leave your member contributions come off the pay you actually receive, at the tier rate you paid before your leave, and they're taken before tax. The calculator fills in your 2026/27 tier from your pay (England & Wales: 5.2% to 12.5%; Scotland: 5.7% to 12.7%). You can change it to match your payslip.
Does this work in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
The maternity pay rules in Section 15 of Agenda for Change apply across the UK, and your employer may have agreed better local terms. Choose Scotland for Scottish income tax. Northern Ireland (HSC) has its own pension scheme, so check your contribution rate on your payslip and enter it.
Not an NHS employee? Use our maternity pay calculator: it handles any employer's scheme. Read the Statutory Maternity Pay guide or how we work out the figures.