Fawnly
UK Maternity Pay & Take-Home Planner
Week-by-week maternity pay and monthly take-home after tax, NI, pension and Child Benefit. 2024/25-2026/27, England/Wales/NI & Scotland. Follows HMRC's relevant-period method; SMP rate follows the tax year.
How to use this calculator
Only the yellow boxes are needed - the rest fine-tune your result. Work through it like this:
- Fill in your baby's due date (from your MATB1 certificate or dating scan).
- Choose when your maternity leave starts. Type a date into "Maternity leave start date", or:
- For the most time off before the birth, press "Use earliest start (11 wks before due)".
- Or open "Or set start from due date", type how many weeks before your due date you'd like to stop working, choose your last working day, and press "Set start date".
- Set how long you'll take off in "How long will you take off?" - up to 52 weeks. Tick "Spread my pay evenly across the leave" if your employer averages your pay out rather than paying more at the start.
- Enter your pay and tax. Choose your tax year and where you live (Scotland has different tax bands), then your annual gross salary and how you're paid. If you've had a recent bonus or pay rise, switch "How should we work out AWE?" to "Enter my relevant-period earnings" for a more accurate SMP figure.
- Add enhanced (occupational) pay if your employer offers more than the statutory minimum - for example 8 weeks at full pay, then 18 weeks at half pay - and whether half pay sits on top of SMP or includes it. Check your contract or staff handbook.
- Add your pension so your take-home is accurate: your contribution, the basis, the tax treatment, and when contributions stop.
- Add Child Benefit. Enter how many children you'll claim for, and if someone in the household earns over £60,000, tick the box and add their income so the High Income Child Benefit Charge is included.
- Add any Keeping in Touch (KIT) days you plan to work with "+ Add KIT day" - up to 10 are allowed, paid on top of your maternity pay.
Then scroll down for your key dates, an eligibility check, a summary over your whole leave, a month-by-month take-home table, an income chart and a full week-by-week breakdown. Everything saves on this device, and you can print it to share with work.
Fill in the yellow boxes - everything else is optional.
1. Your dates
Or set start from due date
2. Pay & tax
Pay rise during leave (optional)
3. Enhanced (occupational) pay
4. Pension
5. Family & Child Benefit
6. Keeping in Touch (KIT) days
Your key dates
Eligibility
Summary over your leave
Month-by-month
| Tax month | Yr | Gross | KIT | Pension | Tax | NI | Take-home | Child Ben. | Total |
|---|
Income chart
Week-by-week maternity pay (52 weeks)
| Week | Starting | Pay type | Gross / week |
|---|
How this is worked out
Frequently asked questions
How much is Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)?
SMP is paid for up to 39 weeks. For the first 6 weeks you get 90% of your average weekly earnings with no upper limit. For the next 33 weeks you get whichever is lower: the flat statutory rate, or 90% of your average weekly earnings. The flat rate is £187.18 a week in 2025/26 and £194.32 in 2026/27. It changes each April, and this calculator uses the rate for your tax year.
Am I eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay?
You usually qualify if you are an employee who has worked continuously for the same employer for at least 26 weeks up to and into the 15th week before your due date (the qualifying week), you earn on average at least the Lower Earnings Limit (£125 a week in 2025/26, £129 in 2026/27), and you give your employer the right notice and proof of pregnancy (your MATB1 certificate). If you do not qualify for SMP, you may be able to claim Maternity Allowance instead.
How long is maternity leave, and how much of it is paid?
You can take up to 52 weeks of maternity leave (26 weeks Ordinary and 26 weeks Additional). Up to 39 of those weeks are paid through SMP or Maternity Allowance; the final 13 weeks are usually unpaid. You must take at least 2 weeks off after the birth (4 weeks if you work in a factory).
What is enhanced or occupational maternity pay?
Some employers offer more than the statutory minimum - for example full pay for the first several weeks, then half pay, before dropping to SMP. This is set by your employer's policy or your contract. If you enter yours in the calculator, it layers on top of SMP so your figures reflect it.
Do I pay tax and National Insurance on maternity pay?
Yes. SMP and any enhanced pay are treated like normal earnings, so income tax, Class 1 National Insurance and any pension contributions still come off. This calculator shows your take-home after tax, NI, pension and Child Benefit, month by month.
What are Keeping in Touch (KIT) days?
KIT days let you work for your employer for up to 10 days during your maternity leave without ending your leave or losing SMP for that week. Whether and how you are paid for them is agreed with your employer. You can add planned KIT days in the calculator.
When can my maternity leave and pay start?
The earliest you can start maternity leave and SMP is 11 weeks before your due date. It can also start automatically if you are off with a pregnancy-related illness in the last 4 weeks before your due date, or the day after your baby is born if that comes first.
Can I use this if I am self-employed?
No - this calculator is for employees who get Statutory Maternity Pay. If you are self-employed you will usually claim Maternity Allowance instead, and your tax and National Insurance work differently. Use our Maternity Pay - Self-Employed calculator for that.
How is the High Income Child Benefit Charge included?
If you or your partner earns above the threshold, some or all of your Child Benefit is clawed back through the High Income Child Benefit Charge. The calculator factors this in when you add your family and income details, so your take-home reflects it.
Is my information private?
Yes. Everything is worked out entirely in your own browser. Nothing you enter - your salary, dates or personal details - is sent to a server, saved or shared. Close the tab and it is gone.