Maternity and Sick Pay Calculator

Statutory Maternity Pay and Statutory Sick Pay are calculated completely differently from each other, and both have genuinely important structural quirks that are easy to miss if you only look at the headline weekly figure. This calculator works out exactly what you would receive under either, using your actual salary and the current 2026/27 rates, including the recent legal changes to sick pay eligibility.

Why the Drop After Week 6 Catches People Out

Statutory Maternity Pay is not one flat rate for the whole 39 weeks — the first six weeks pay 90% of average weekly earnings with no cap, which can be a genuinely substantial amount for a higher earner, but the remaining 33 weeks pay only the lower of 90% or a fixed statutory rate, £194.32 a week for 2026/27. For anyone earning meaningfully more than around £216 a week, this means a noticeable drop in pay after week six, not a gradual taper — going from 90% of a full salary down to a flat rate considerably lower than that percentage would suggest. This is one of the more commonly misunderstood parts of maternity pay, and planning around the actual shape of the payment, not just an assumed average, avoids an unwelcome surprise partway through leave.

Seeing the Drop in Real Pounds

On a £45,000 salary, average weekly earnings work out to roughly £865. The first six weeks of SMP pay 90% of that, around £779 a week. From week seven, the rate falls to the flat statutory figure of £194.32 a week — a drop of well over £580 a week, or more than two-thirds of the earlier weekly amount. Across the full 39 weeks, total SMP for this salary comes to roughly £11,086, a figure that only makes sense once the two very different weekly rates within it are understood separately, rather than as a single averaged amount.

The Law Just Changed for Sick Pay

From 6 April 2026, under the Employment Rights Act 2025, Statutory Sick Pay changed in two genuinely significant ways: the previous lower earnings limit, which excluded the lowest earners from any SSP entitlement at all, was removed, and the payment now starts from day one of sickness absence rather than after the previous three-day waiting period. This is a meaningful improvement in coverage — lower earners who previously received nothing now qualify, and the delay before payment starts has been eliminated entirely. This calculator reflects the current rules rather than the older, more restrictive ones, which is worth being aware of if you are comparing against information published before this change took effect.

The removal of the three-day waiting period specifically matters most for shorter absences — previously, a brief illness lasting only a few days could result in no SSP at all, since payment only began once the waiting period had passed. Under the current rules, even a short absence now attracts payment from the very first day.

SSP Is a Floor, Not Necessarily What You’ll Get

Statutory Sick Pay is a legal minimum, not a cap on what an employer can pay — many employers offer a more generous occupational sick pay scheme on top of, or instead of, the statutory minimum, sometimes continuing full pay for a period well beyond what SSP alone would provide. It is always worth checking your specific employment contract or staff handbook for an occupational scheme before assuming SSP is genuinely all you would receive, since the actual figure many employees receive during illness is considerably higher than the statutory floor this calculator shows.

Larger employers and the public sector are generally more likely to offer an enhanced occupational scheme than very small businesses, though this varies considerably, so checking your own specific contract rather than assuming based on employer size or sector is the only reliable way to know what actually applies to you.

Two Different Systems, Two Different Purposes

SMP exists specifically to support employed mothers during maternity leave and has its own distinct eligibility rules, based on length of service and average earnings over a specific reference period. SSP exists for sickness absence generally, available to a much broader range of employees for a genuinely different reason, and the two are not interchangeable — someone off work due to a pregnancy-related illness before maternity leave formally begins, for example, would typically claim SSP for that period, switching to SMP once maternity leave itself starts. Once any period of maternity or sick leave ends and you are back to your normal income, our Income Tax Calculator is useful for working out your regular take-home pay again. If your household income drops meaningfully during a period of SMP or SSP, our Benefits Calculator is worth checking, since Universal Credit can sometimes top up a reduced income during this time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Important Information

This calculator provides an estimate based on standard 2026/27 statutory rates for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Individual eligibility depends on your specific employment history and circumstances. For advice specific to your situation, consult HMRC, ACAS, or your employer’s HR department. See our Disclaimer for further information.