UK Maternity Pay Explained: SMP, Enhanced Pay, and Your Rights

20 May 2025Employment7 min readCalcStack Team

Working out your maternity pay shouldn’t require a law degree, but sometimes it feels like it does. There’s SMP, Maternity Allowance, enhanced pay, shared parental leave, KIT days — and all of them have different qualifying criteria and timelines. Let’s break it down properly.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)

SMP is paid by your employer for up to 39 weeks:

Weeks 1–6: 90% of your average weekly earnings (no cap)
Weeks 7–39: The lower of 90% of your average weekly earnings or £187.18/week (2025/26 rate)
Weeks 40–52: Unpaid (but you still have employment rights)

Let’s be real: £187.18 a week isn’t a lot. That’s about £810 a month before tax. Planning your finances around this is important — the drop from full salary can be a shock.

Qualifying for SMP

You need to tick all four boxes:

Continuously employed for at least 26 weeks by the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth (the “qualifying week”)
Earning at least £125/week on average in the 8 weeks before the qualifying week
Give your employer at least 28 days’ notice of when you want SMP to start
Provide a MATB1 certificate from your midwife or GP (issued from 20 weeks)

Don’t qualify? Maybe you’re self-employed, haven’t worked long enough, or earn below the threshold. You might still be eligible for Maternity Allowance from the government — £187.18/week or 90% of earnings (whichever is lower) for 39 weeks. Apply through Jobcentre Plus.

Enhanced Maternity Pay

Plenty of employers offer more than the statutory minimum. Common enhanced policies include full pay for the first 3–6 months, then SMP for the rest. Some offer 90% for 18 weeks, 50% plus SMP for another 13 weeks, or a flat enhanced rate for all 39 weeks.

Enhanced pay is a contractual benefit, not a legal right — check your contract or staff handbook. One thing to watch: if your employer pays enhanced maternity, they might require you to come back for a minimum period (usually 3–6 months) or repay the enhanced portion. Read the small print before you make plans.

Shared Parental Leave (SPL)

SPL lets eligible parents share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay. The mother must take at least 2 weeks after birth (4 for factory workers), but can then “curtail” maternity leave early and convert the rest into SPL.

Both parents must meet eligibility criteria. The partner needs at least 26 weeks of work out of the 66 weeks before the due date, earning at least £30/week in 13 of those weeks. SPL pay is at the flat rate of £187.18/week. Take-up remains low — about 5% of eligible fathers — mostly because the pay is too low for most families to manage.

Keeping In Touch (KIT) Days

You can work up to 10 KIT days during maternity leave without it ending or affecting your SMP for that week. They’re voluntary — your employer can’t force you, and you can’t demand them. Most people use them for training, team meetings, or easing back in. Payment is agreed between you and your employer — it’s not automatically at your full salary, so nail this down upfront.

Your Employment Rights During Maternity

During leave, you keep all your contractual rights except salary. That means:

Annual holiday continues to build up (and you can carry it over if you can’t take it before leave)
Your employer must keep paying pension contributions based on your normal salary, even though you’re on reduced SMP
You can return to the same job after Ordinary Maternity Leave (first 26 weeks)
After Additional Maternity Leave (weeks 27–52), you get the same job or a suitable alternative on the same terms
You’re protected against unfair dismissal or detriment because of pregnancy

Paternity Pay and Leave

Eligible partners get 2 weeks at £187.18/week (or 90% of earnings if lower). Since April 2024, you can take paternity leave as two separate one-week blocks any time in the first 52 weeks after birth — much more flexible than the old “first 8 weeks only” rule.

Adoption Pay

Same structure and rates as SMP: 90% of earnings for 6 weeks, then the lower of 90% or £187.18/week for 33 weeks. Adopters have equivalent shared parental leave rights too.

Use our free Maternity Pay calculator to work out exactly what you’ll receive each week and plan your finances for the months ahead.

Try our free Maternity Pay Calculator

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much is Statutory Maternity Pay in 2025?

90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then £187.18/week (or 90% if that’s lower) for weeks 7–39. Over 39 weeks, the total ranges from roughly £7,300 at the flat rate to significantly more if you’re a higher earner.

When should I tell my employer I'm pregnant?

Legally, by the 15th week before your due date (roughly 25 weeks pregnant). But telling them earlier triggers pregnancy-related protections sooner — including paid time off for antenatal appointments. Most people tell their employer around 12–16 weeks.

Can I work during maternity leave?

Up to 10 KIT days, yes — without ending your leave or losing SMP. Beyond that, your maternity leave and SMP would stop. Interestingly, working for a completely different employer during maternity leave is fine and doesn’t affect your SMP at all.

Do I have to go back to work after maternity leave?

No. You can resign during or at the end of leave. You’re still entitled to your full SMP even if you don’t return. The only catch: if your employer paid enhanced maternity, your contract may require you to repay the enhanced bit if you don’t come back for a minimum period.

What if I'm made redundant during maternity leave?

You have special protection. If your role is genuinely redundant, your employer must offer you any suitable alternative vacancy before other employees — no interview needed. Failing to do this makes the redundancy automatically unfair. You keep your full SMP regardless.