To qualify for Occupational Maternity Pay with the NHS, you usually need 12 months of continuous NHS service by the 11th week before your due date. You must return to NHS work for at least 3 months afterwards, or you may have to repay the occupational pay (not SMP). Check your contract of employment.
Occupational Maternity Pay (OMP) is the pay you receive that is provided by your employer (the NHS) during maternity leave. To be sure you qualify for OMP, you should check your employment contract or contact your HR department. This calculator is based on the most common plan provided to NHS employees: 8 weeks full pay and 18 weeks half pay.
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is available to most employees as long as they earn on average at least £129 per week. It is paid at 90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then £194.32 per week, or 90% of your earnings if that is lower, for 33 weeks. Check if you qualify on GOV.UK.
From Monday 6 April 2026, Statutory Maternity Pay increases from £187.18 to £194.32 per week.
If you qualify under Agenda for Change, you get 8 weeks at full pay, then 18 weeks at half pay plus Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), as long as the total isn't more than your full pay. After that you get 13 weeks of SMP only, at £194.32 a week. SMP is included in your full pay for the first 8 weeks, not paid on top. The last 13 weeks of your 52 weeks of leave are unpaid.
You usually need 12 months of continuous service with one or more NHS employers by the start of the 11th week before your due date. You also need to tell your employer you plan to return to work, and go back to NHS work for at least 3 months after your leave. If you have less service, you may still get Statutory Maternity Pay.
You can take up to 52 weeks of maternity leave. The first 39 weeks are paid: 26 weeks of NHS pay plus SMP, then 13 weeks of SMP only. The last 13 weeks are unpaid. The earliest you can start your leave is the 11th week before your due date.
From 6 April 2026, SMP is £194.32 a week, which is about £842.05 a month (£194.32 × 52 ÷ 12). For the first 6 weeks it is 90% of your average weekly earnings instead, with no upper limit. To get SMP you need to earn at least £129 a week on average.
Yes, if your employer agrees. Agenda for Change lets your occupational maternity pay be paid in a different way, such as equal amounts across your leave. You get the same total, without the drop to SMP only or the unpaid weeks at the end. Choose to spread your pay in the calculator above to compare the two.
Only if you don't go back to work. If you don't return to NHS work for at least 3 months after your leave, your employer can ask you to repay the occupational maternity pay. You never have to repay SMP.
You can still get SMP if you've worked for your employer for at least 26 weeks by the 15th week before your due date, and earn at least £129 a week on average. If you can't get SMP, you may be able to claim Maternity Allowance instead. Use our Statutory Maternity Pay calculator to see what you'd get.
Yes. Agenda for Change maternity pay is the same across the UK, so this calculator works for NHS Scotland, NHS Wales and Health and Social Care staff in Northern Ireland. Doctors and dentists have their own contracts, so check yours.
This calculator is guidance only, based on information made publicly available by the UK government and the NHS scheme. Check your contract or ask HR to confirm what you'll get. For more on maternity pay visit GOV.UK.