UK statutory maternity and parental pay entitlements are determined based on an employee’s earnings and length of service. Understanding these rates is crucial for both employers managing payroll and employees planning their parental leave. This calculator uses the 2026 statutory rates to give accurate estimates of your statutory entitlements.
Whether you’re an employee planning leave or an employer managing payroll obligations, this calculator helps ensure compliance and clarity. It’s based on official UK government guidelines and is regularly updated to reflect statutory changes.
How the calculation works
This calculator uses the official 2026 UK statutory rates for Maternity Pay (SMP), Shared Parental Pay (ShPP), and Statutory Parental Pay (SPP). The calculation is based on two main factors: the employee’s average weekly earnings (AWE) and the number of qualifying weeks worked in the relevant period. The maximum weekly amount is capped at the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) and Upper Earnings Limit (UEL) set by the UK government.
For SMP, 90% of AWE is paid for the first six weeks, followed by a standard weekly rate for the remaining 33 weeks. For SPP and ShPP, the rate is flat unless the employee’s AWE exceeds the UEL, in which case the payment is based on 90% of AWE. The calculator applies these rules to give an accurate estimate tailored to each user’s inputs.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the employee’s average weekly earnings.
- Specify the length of service in qualifying weeks.
- Select the type of parental or maternity pay you want to calculate.
- Review the estimated weekly and total payment amounts.
- Download or share the results for future reference.