Maternity Calculator
Planning tool UK 2026/27 rates

Shared parental leave calculator

See how much leave and pay you can share if the mother ends maternity leave early, how to split it between you, and how it compares with taking full maternity leave.
What do you each earn before tax?
£
£

Your gross pay: before tax, National Insurance, pension and any student loan are taken off. It's usually shown as "gross pay" on a payslip.

How will you split the year?
The mother must take at least 2 weeks after the birth.
Leave the mother takes after switching from maternity leave to shared parental leave.

To see when maternity leave ends and when shared leave must be taken by.

Results appear below as soon as you've entered both salaries. Nothing you enter is saved.

How shared parental leave works

1 2 52 weeks of leave
  1. Mother's leave Weeks 1–2
    The mother must take at least 2 weeks of maternity leave after the birth.
  2. Shared leave Up to 50 weeks
    The rest of the 52 weeks can be shared, in blocks or with both of you off at the same time.
  3. Shared parental pay Up to 37 weeks
    £194.32 a week, or 90% of earnings if lower, for what's left of the 39 weeks of SMP.
  4. Book it in time Before the first birthday
    Give your employer at least 8 weeks' written notice for each block of leave.

More calculators

Maternity pay calculators

NHS 8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay plus SMP, then SMP. Teachers Burgundy Book: 4 weeks full pay, 2 weeks at 90%, then half pay plus SMP. Civil Service Most departments: 26 weeks full pay, then SMP. Police 26 weeks full pay for officers in England and Wales. Armed Forces 26 weeks full pay, then SMP. Statutory Maternity Pay Any other employer: 6 weeks at 90%, then £194.32 a week.

Planning your leave and return

Part-time pay Your take-home pay if you go back part-time. Childcare costs Nursery costs after funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare.

Who can get it

  • The parent taking shared leave must have worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the due date, and still be employed.
  • To get shared parental pay, they must earn on average at least £129 a week.
  • The other parent must have worked for at least 26 of the 66 weeks before the due date and earned at least £390 in total in 13 of those weeks.
  • Each parent can book up to 3 separate blocks of leave, and all shared leave must be taken before the baby's first birthday.

This calculator is guidance only. For full details visit gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay or speak to your employer.

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