{"id":27150,"date":"2020-08-11T11:49:20","date_gmt":"2020-08-11T09:49:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/?p=27150"},"modified":"2025-03-26T10:33:53","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T08:33:53","slug":"maternity-leave-pay-rights-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultimate Guide to UK Statutory Maternity Leave and Pay (SMP)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your employee is expecting a baby, they may be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Statutory Maternity Leave. As an employer, you should understand how to navigate this situation and what your requirements as an organisation are. It\u2019s vital to be aware of all essential information and take the necessary steps required of you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, we cover Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Leave<\/span><b>,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> including details about paid maternity leave, how to know if an employee qualifies for SMP and how much maternity pay they are entitled to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><div class=\"js-toc toc\">\n<p class=\"js-toc-title toc__title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<nav id=\"fac_toc_nav\" class=\"js-toc-nav toc__nav\" aria-label=\"Table of Contents\"><ol class=\"toc__list toc__list--level-1\"><li class=\"toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"toc__link toc-link-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/#statutory-maternity-leave\" title=\"Statutory Maternity Leave\" data-target-id=\"statutory-maternity-leave\">Statutory Maternity Leave<\/a><\/li><li class=\"toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"toc__link toc-link-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/#types-of-maternity-pay\" title=\"Types of Maternity Pay\" data-target-id=\"types-of-maternity-pay\">Types of Maternity Pay<\/a><\/li><li class=\"toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"toc__link toc-link-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/#statutory-maternity-leave-pay-(smp)\" title=\"Statutory Maternity Leave Pay (SMP)\" data-target-id=\"statutory-maternity-leave-pay-(smp)\">Statutory Maternity Leave Pay (SMP)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"toc__link toc-link-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/#statutory-maternity-leave-and-pay-entitlement\" title=\"Statutory Maternity Leave and Pay Entitlement\" data-target-id=\"statutory-maternity-leave-and-pay-entitlement\">Statutory Maternity Leave and Pay Entitlement<\/a><\/li><li class=\"toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"toc__link toc-link-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/#start-and-end-date-of-statutory-maternity-pay\" title=\"Start and End Date of Statutory Maternity Pay\" data-target-id=\"start-and-end-date-of-statutory-maternity-pay\">Start and End Date of Statutory Maternity Pay<\/a><\/li><li class=\"toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"toc__link toc-link-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/#maternity-allowance\" title=\"Maternity Allowance\" data-target-id=\"maternity-allowance\">Maternity Allowance<\/a><\/li><li class=\"toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"toc__link toc-link-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/#how-to-ask-for-maternity-leave-and-pay\" title=\"How to Ask For Maternity Leave and Pay\" data-target-id=\"how-to-ask-for-maternity-leave-and-pay\">How to Ask For Maternity Leave and Pay<\/a><\/li><li class=\"toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"toc__link toc-link-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/#common-maternity-leave-and-maternity-pay-questions\" title=\"Common Maternity Leave and Maternity Pay Questions\" data-target-id=\"common-maternity-leave-and-maternity-pay-questions\">Common Maternity Leave and Maternity Pay Questions<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><\/div><\/b><\/p>\n<h2><b>Statutory Maternity Leave<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No matter how long you have been working for your company, you are entitled to <\/span><b>52 weeks of<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/maternity-pay-leave\/leave\"> <b>Statutory Maternity Leave<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which is constituted of:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ordinary maternity leave: the first 26 weeks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additional maternity leave: the final 26 weeks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is <\/span><b>not compulsory. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How many weeks you take off work is your decision &#8211; up to the 52-week maximum. However, you are required to take at least 2 weeks off after the birth of your baby. If you work in a factory, this increases to 4 weeks. If you want to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">change <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the date you&#8217;re returning to work, tell your employer at least 8 weeks&#8217; before the new date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though you are eligible for 52 weeks off work, you will only get paid for 39 of those. This is as long as you are legally classed as an employee within your company. More on this below.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#8217;re unsure about your leave dates, you can use the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/pay-leave-for-parents\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">maternity planner<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on the government website. You can also find details of<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/shared-parental-leave-and-pay\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shared parental leave<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and details of<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/paternity-leave\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">paternity leave here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Start date<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s standard practice to begin your leave 11 weeks before your due date, but it can also start the day <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">after <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your baby is born if they arrive earlier than expected.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maternity leave can also start by default if you&#8217;re already away from work due to complications or an illness related to the pregnancy. This must be within the 4 weeks leading up to your due date (Sunday &#8211; Saturday).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Pension contribution whilst on maternity leave<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your employer must continue contributing to your pension while you\u2019re on maternity leave. They must pay the same amount as they did before the leave started. If you\u2019re not receiving maternity pay, or your maternity leave period has ended, your employer is free to stop contributing to your pension as in this case, you are able to contribute to your pension yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/get-started\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-152082 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/PTO-banner-1024x484.png\" alt=\"Simplify your PTO management workflow with Factorial\" width=\"1024\" height=\"484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/17163957\/PTO-banner-1024x484.png 1024w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/17163957\/PTO-banner-300x142.png 300w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/17163957\/PTO-banner-768x363.png 768w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/17163957\/PTO-banner-1536x726.png 1536w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/17163957\/PTO-banner.png 1921w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Types of Maternity Pay<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First things first, there are three types of maternity pay; each is different in the amount of pay and duration. These are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Statutory maternity pay (SMP): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article will cover the details of this type.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Contractual maternity pay:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This will be determined by your employer and should be listed in your employment contract. It will always be more than statutory maternity pay. Almost<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peoplemanagement.co.uk\/article\/1747219\/two-thirds-of-businesses-now-provide-enhanced-maternity-pay\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">two-thirds of UK businesses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> now offer maternity pay that&#8217;s more generous than the statutory minimum.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Maternity allowance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can calculate this using this<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/maternity-paternity-pay-leave\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">maternity pay calculator<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><b>Statutory Maternity Leave Pay (SMP)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For up to 39 weeks of your maternity leave, you are entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the first 6 weeks, <\/span><b>this should be 90% of your average weekly earnings. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, for the following 33 weeks, you should receive <\/span><b>either \u00a3172.48 or 90% of your average weekly earnings <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; whichever of the two is less. The government&#8217;s<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/pay-leave-for-parents\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">maternity pay calculator<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the easiest way to determine exactly what you&#8217;ll get.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are a few important things to note:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You&#8217;ll be paid however you usually receive your wages, whether that be monthly or weekly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All of these calculations are done before tax. Tax and national insurance will both be deducted from your SMP.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For those on <\/span><b>Shared Parental Leave, you will receive Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for the entire period of leave. This is \u00a3172.48 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings &#8211; again, whichever is less.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In April every year, statutory maternity pay increases. If this happens whilst you&#8217;re already being paid, you&#8217;ll receive the new amount from the date that it comes into effect.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Usually, an employer will use the <\/span><b>8 weeks before the 15th week before your baby is due<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to work out your average pay.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the calculations for statutory maternity pay are largely based on your average pay, it&#8217;s best<\/span><b> to keep it as high as possible whilst your SMP amount is being calculated<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by your company. <\/span><b>For<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/talent-management\/\"> <b>people<\/b><\/a><b> on varying pay, this would mean timing your work strategically to align with calculations. For others, this could involve avoiding unpaid time off and taking extra shifts.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you take the <\/span><b>full 52 weeks of maternity leave, the last 13 weeks will be unpaid<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, unless your contract offers enhanced maternity pay.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Statutory Maternity Leave and Pay Entitlement<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Entitlement for maternity leave and maternity pay are two separate things with different criteria.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You must be classified as an employee rather than a &#8216;worker&#8217; to be entitled to Statutory Maternity Leave <\/span><b>and<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> give your employer the legally required amount of notice.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Qualifying for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You must fit the following criteria to qualify for SMP:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earn \u00a3123 or above per week.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be able to show proof of pregnancy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide your employer with the legally required notice.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have already worked at your current company\/the same employer for 26 weeks or more <\/span><b>continuously,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> entering into the 15th week before your baby is due. This is the &#8216;qualifying week&#8217;, which can be worked out by <\/span><b>counting back 15 weeks from the week you are due to have your baby. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is important to work out when your qualifying week is so that you know when you need to give notice to your employer to get maternity leave and pay. You also need to know your qualifying week as it determines whether you get Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You have not entered into police custody at any point during the maternity pay period.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your baby dies after birth, is born prematurely, or is stillborn after your 24th week, you are still entitled to statutory maternity pay.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re eligible for Statutory maternity leave pay and have more than one employer, you may be eligible to get Statutory maternity leave pay from both.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Start and End Date of Statutory Maternity Pay<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In normal circumstances, <\/span><b>statutory maternity pay begins when you start maternity leave. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, this can also start by default if you&#8217;re already away from work due to complications or an illness related to the pregnancy. This must be within the 4 weeks leading up to your due date (Sunday &#8211; Saturday).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will automatically end when you resume your job or start a new one.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/get-started\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-152390 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/time-tracking-uk-blog-1024x484.png\" alt=\"Track your employees' hours using Factorial\" width=\"1024\" height=\"484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/20175024\/time-tracking-uk-blog-1024x484.png 1024w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/20175024\/time-tracking-uk-blog-300x142.png 300w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/20175024\/time-tracking-uk-blog-768x363.png 768w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/20175024\/time-tracking-uk-blog-1536x726.png 1536w, https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/20175024\/time-tracking-uk-blog.png 1921w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/h2>\n<h2><b>Maternity Allowance<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>What is it?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/maternity-allowance\/what-youll-get\"><b>Maternity allowance<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a <\/span><b>financial benefit allocated to self-employed women or women who don\u2019t earn over \u00a3113 per week.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Employees who don\u2019t qualify for Statutory Maternity Leave generally get maternity allowance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Department for Work and Pensions provides this support allowance instead of your employer. Y<\/span><b>ou must apply for it yourself to receive the benefit.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The amount you receive depends upon your eligibility.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You could either receive 151.20 a week, or 90% of your earnings for 39 weeks. This is dependent on whichever is less.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a327 a week for 39 weeks<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a327 a week for 14 weeks<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Who is Entitled?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Certain conditions also exist regarding your entitlement to this type of maternity pay. You will not be entitled if you haven\u2019t worked the 26 qualifying weeks. However, <\/span><b>these 26 weeks can be across two different employers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You are also not eligible for this type of maternity pay if you earn less than \u00a330 a week.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How to Ask For Maternity Leave and Pay<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For maternity leave, you must tell your employer <\/span><b>at least 15 weeks <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">before your baby is due. Inform them of the due date and the date you want your maternity leave to start. They might ask for this in writing, which they&#8217;re entitled to do. Get written confirmation of the start and end dates from your employer within the 28 day period following this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, for statutory maternity pay, you must:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inform your employer when you&#8217;ll be stopping work and the date you would like SMP to begin. Again, you must show proof of pregnancy and let them know with at least 28 days&#8217; notice. This can be a letter from a doctor or midwife, or a MATB1 certificate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get written confirmation of the start and end dates from your employer within the 28 day period following this.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your application is rejected on the grounds that you&#8217;re not eligible, make sure you get the form SMP1 within 7 days alongside a reason.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Common Maternity Leave and Maternity Pay Questions<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>What is statutory maternity?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No matter how long you have been working for your company, you are entitled to <\/span><b>52 weeks of Statutory Maternity Leave<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which is constituted of ordinary maternity leave (the first 26 weeks) and additional maternity leave (the final 26 weeks). If you&#8217;re eligible for statutory maternity pay, you will receive<\/span><b> 90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, for the following 33 weeks, you should receive <\/span><b>either \u00a3172.48 or 90% of your average weekly earnings <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; whichever of the two is less.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Can I extend my maternity leave after 52 weeks?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No. This is the maximum amount required by<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/uk-employment-laws\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">law<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, however, you can come to an agreement with your employer. They may allow you to take more time off.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Is 6 months maternity leave enough?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s recommended that mothers take the full 52 weeks of paid leave, for the health of both mother and baby. In the case of shared parental leave, this could be 6 months per parent.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What is the NHS maternity pay?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The same as statutory maternity pay. For the first 6 weeks, <\/span><b>this should be 90% of your average weekly earnings. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, for the following 33 weeks, you should receive <\/span><b>either \u00a3172.48 or 90% of your average weekly earnings <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; whichever of the two is less.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Does the employer pay maternity pay UK?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, as long as you have worked for them in continuous employment for at least 26 weeks before the due date AND you work for them during the 15th week before the due date.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How much is maternity pay UK 2023?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Statutory maternity pay (SMP) is <\/span><b>90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then, for the following 33 weeks, you should receive <\/span><b>either \u00a3172.48 or 90% of your average weekly earnings <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; whichever of the two is less. Contractual maternity pay is decided by your employer. For those that don&#8217;t qualify for SMP, maternity allowance can be calculated using this<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/maternity-paternity-pay-leave\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">calculator<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What are the qualifying weeks for maternity pay UK?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qualifying weeks can be worked out by <\/span><b>counting back 15 weeks from the week you are due to have your baby. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is important to work out when your qualifying week is so that you know when you need to give notice to your employer to get maternity leave and pay. You also need to know your qualifying week as it determines whether you get Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Who can claim maternity allowance?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anyone that has been pregnant for 26 weeks. The recipient can then receive payments up to 11 weeks before your due date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [{\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"What is statutory maternity?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"No matter how long you have been working for your company, you are entitled to 52 weeks of Statutory Maternity Leave which is constituted of ordinary maternity leave (the first 26 weeks) and additional maternity leave (the final 26 weeks). If you're eligible for statutory maternity pay, you will receive 90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks. Then, for the following 33 weeks, you should receive either \u00a3172.48 or 90% of your average weekly earnings - whichever of the two is less.\"\n    }\n  },{\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"Can I extend my maternity leave after 52 weeks?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"No. This is the maximum amount required by law, however, you can come to an agreement with your employer. They may allow you to take more time off.\"\n    }\n  },{\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"Is 6 months maternity leave enough?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"It's recommended that mothers take the full 52 weeks of paid leave, for the health of both mother and baby. In the case of shared parental leave, this could be 6 months per parent.\"\n    }\n  },{\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"What is the NHS maternity pay?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"The same as statutory maternity pay. For the first 6 weeks, this should be 90% of your average weekly earnings. Then, for the following 33 weeks, you should receive either \u00a3172.48 or 90% of your average weekly earnings - whichever of the two is less.\"\n    }\n  },{\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"Does the employer pay maternity pay UK?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"Yes, as long as you have worked for them in continuous employment for at least 26 weeks before the due date AND you work for them during the 15th week before the due date.\"\n    }\n  },{\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"How much is maternity pay UK 2023?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"Statutory maternity pay (SMP) is 90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks. Then, for the following 33 weeks, you should receive either \u00a3172.48 or 90% of your average weekly earnings - whichever of the two is less. Contractual maternity pay is decided by your employer. For those that don't qualify for SMP, maternity allowance can be calculated using this calculator.\"\n    }\n  },{\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"What are the qualifying weeks for maternity pay UK?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"Qualifying weeks can be worked out by counting back 15 weeks from the week you are due to have your baby. It is important to work out when your qualifying week is so that you know when you need to give notice to your employer to get maternity leave and pay. You also need to know your qualifying week as it determines whether you get Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance.\"\n    }\n  },{\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"Who can claim maternity allowance?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"Anyone that has been pregnant for 26 weeks. The recipient can then receive payments up to 11 weeks before your due date.\"\n    }\n  }]\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If your employee is expecting a baby, they may be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Statutory Maternity Leave. As an employer, you should understand how to navigate this situation and what your requirements as an organisation are. It\u2019s vital to be aware of all essential information and take the necessary steps required of<a href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/\" class=\"read-more\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":151,"featured_media":27154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[108,338],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hr-tips-en-gb","category-legal-finance"],"acf":{"topics":"time-time-off"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.5 (Yoast SEO v21.9.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Ultimate Guide to UK Statutory Maternity Leave and Pay (SMP)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Know your rights regarding Statutory Maternity Leave and Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) in the UK, including eligibility, amount and duration.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ultimate Guide to UK Statutory Maternity Leave and Pay (SMP)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Know your rights regarding Statutory Maternity Leave and Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) in the UK, including eligibility, amount and duration.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Factorial\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Factorial\/100064908455810\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-08-11T09:49:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-26T08:33:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/11110601\/Maternity-leave-pay.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"830\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Emma Baigey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@factorialapp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@factorialapp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Emma Baigey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Emma Baigey\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/60f87cc8ee5125540515f3d7936d39b4\"},\"headline\":\"Ultimate Guide to UK Statutory Maternity Leave and Pay (SMP)\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-08-11T09:49:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-26T08:33:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/\"},\"wordCount\":1868,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"HR Tips\",\"Legal &amp; Finance\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/\",\"name\":\"Ultimate Guide to UK Statutory Maternity Leave and Pay (SMP)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-08-11T09:49:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-26T08:33:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"Know your rights regarding Statutory Maternity Leave and Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) in the UK, including eligibility, amount and duration.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Factorial\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"All-in-one business management software - Factorial\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/factorial.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/18155144\/factorial-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/factorial.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/18155144\/factorial-logo.png\",\"width\":946,\"height\":880,\"caption\":\"All-in-one business management software - Factorial\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Factorial\/100064908455810\/\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/factorialapp\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/factorialhr\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@factorialmedia\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/factorial\/#\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/60f87cc8ee5125540515f3d7936d39b4\",\"name\":\"Emma Baigey\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9b3b8325fad72811803e6218f2f99254?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9b3b8325fad72811803e6218f2f99254?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Emma Baigey\"},\"description\":\"Emma is a Content Writer with 5 years of Marketing experience. She specialises in HR strategy and modern workplace trends. When she's not writing, she's running by the beach or cooking Italian food.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/emma-baigey-2a2998168\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/author\/emma-baigey\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ultimate Guide to UK Statutory Maternity Leave and Pay (SMP)","description":"Know your rights regarding Statutory Maternity Leave and Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) in the UK, including eligibility, amount and duration.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ultimate Guide to UK Statutory Maternity Leave and Pay (SMP)","og_description":"Know your rights regarding Statutory Maternity Leave and Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) in the UK, including eligibility, amount and duration.","og_url":"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/blog\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/","og_site_name":"Factorial","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Factorial\/100064908455810\/","article_published_time":"2020-08-11T09:49:20+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-26T08:33:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":830,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/factorialhr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/11110601\/Maternity-leave-pay.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Emma Baigey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@factorialapp","twitter_site":"@factorialapp","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Emma Baigey","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/"},"author":{"name":"Emma Baigey","@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/60f87cc8ee5125540515f3d7936d39b4"},"headline":"Ultimate Guide to UK Statutory Maternity Leave and Pay (SMP)","datePublished":"2020-08-11T09:49:20+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-26T08:33:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/"},"wordCount":1868,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#organization"},"articleSection":["HR Tips","Legal &amp; Finance"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/","url":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/","name":"Ultimate Guide to UK Statutory Maternity Leave and Pay (SMP)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2020-08-11T09:49:20+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-26T08:33:53+00:00","description":"Know your rights regarding Statutory Maternity Leave and Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) in the UK, including eligibility, amount and duration.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/en-gb\/maternity-leave-pay-rights-law\/"]}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/","name":"Factorial","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"All-in-one business management software - Factorial","url":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/factorial.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/18155144\/factorial-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/factorial.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/18155144\/factorial-logo.png","width":946,"height":880,"caption":"All-in-one business management software - Factorial"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Factorial\/100064908455810\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/factorialapp","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/factorialhr","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@factorialmedia","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/factorial\/#"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/60f87cc8ee5125540515f3d7936d39b4","name":"Emma Baigey","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9b3b8325fad72811803e6218f2f99254?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9b3b8325fad72811803e6218f2f99254?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Emma Baigey"},"description":"Emma is a Content Writer with 5 years of Marketing experience. She specialises in HR strategy and modern workplace trends. When she's not writing, she's running by the beach or cooking Italian food.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/emma-baigey-2a2998168\/"],"url":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/author\/emma-baigey\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27150"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/151"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27150"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154545,"href":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27150\/revisions\/154545"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/factorialhr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}