NHS Maternity Pay Calculator

The NHS Maternity Pay Calculator above calculates your personalised take-home pay — after income tax, National Insurance, and NHS pension deductions — across all 52 weeks of maternity leave, using your Agenda for Change (AfC) band, due date, and continuous service length. NHS maternity pay combines Occupational Maternity Pay (OMP) from your Trust (8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay) with Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) at £194.32 per week from 6 April 2026, giving eligible employees 39 weeks of paid leave followed by 13 weeks of unpaid leave.

How Does NHS Maternity Pay Work?

NHS maternity pay combines two separate payment streams into one 52-week package. Your NHS Trust pays Occupational Maternity Pay (OMP) under the Agenda for Change (AfC) framework. The government pays Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) through HMRC. Together, these give eligible employees 39 weeks of paid leave — significantly more generous than the statutory minimum available to employees outside the NHS.

The 52 weeks of maternity leave divide into four phases:

1. Weeks 1–8: Full pay (OMP). You receive your normal full salary. SMP is inclusive within this amount — it is offset against your full pay, not added on top. Your payslip shows your usual monthly amount.
2. Weeks 9–26: Half pay + SMP. You receive 50% of your normal salary plus SMP. The combined total is capped so it never exceeds your full pay rate.
3. Weeks 27–39: SMP only. OMP ends. You receive £194.32 per week (from 6 April 2026) or 90% of your Average Weekly Earnings (AWE), whichever is lower.
4. Weeks 40–52: Unpaid leave. No pay is received. Your job is protected, your continuous NHS service is preserved, and you continue to accrue annual leave.

Net figures are estimates for a Band 5 entry employee at £32,073 in England with a standard 1257L tax code and 6.5% pension contribution rate. Your figures will differ.

What is Occupational Maternity Pay (OMP)?

OMP is the employer-funded element of NHS maternity pay. Your NHS Trust pays it under AfC Section 15 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook. The standard entitlement is 8 weeks at full pay followed by 18 weeks at half pay, (nhsemployers.org — AfC TCS Handbook Section 15). The critical word is "inclusive": SMP is offset within your OMP entitlement, not added on top of it.

During weeks 1–8, your Trust pays you your full salary and reclaims the SMP portion from HMRC. You see a single normal payslip, not a separate SMP payment. During weeks 9–26, your Trust pays half your salary and adds SMP — but the combined total is capped at your full-pay rate. If half your weekly salary plus £194.32 exceeds your full weekly pay, the difference is simply not added.

OMP is the element that makes NHS maternity pay significantly more valuable than the statutory minimum. For a Band 6 nurse at £39,959 entry salary, the OMP enhancement in weeks 1–26 is worth approximately £10,000 more than SMP alone.

What is Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and how does it differ?

SMP is the government-mandated minimum maternity payment, funded through HMRC. Every eligible employee in the UK — NHS or otherwise — receives SMP regardless of their employer.

From 6 April 2026, the SMP rate is £194.32 per week for weeks 7–39, (employeehandbooktemplateuk.co.uk). For the first 6 weeks of SMP, the rate is 90% of your AWE with no upper cap. If your AWE is £615, your first-6-week SMP rate is £553.50 per week. Most NHS employees earning above £216 per week receive the £194.32 flat rate from week 7 onwards, because the flat rate is lower than 90% of their AWE.

To qualify for SMP, your AWE must be at least £129 per week — the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) for 2026/27, (employerkit.com). SMP is never repaid, regardless of whether you return to work after maternity leave.

Is NHS maternity pay the same everywhere, or does it vary by Trust or nation?

The OMP entitlement structure — 8 weeks full, 18 weeks half, 13 weeks SMP, 13 weeks unpaid — is the same across every NHS Trust in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, because it derives from the national AfC Section 15 terms. However, the pay rates differ by nation.

From 1 April 2026, England and Wales AfC staff received a 3.3% consolidated pay award, (nhspaybands.org.uk). Scotland agreed a separate 3.75% uplift through its own collective bargaining process, (nhspaybands.org.uk). This means a Scottish Band 6 nurse has a higher base salary for OMP calculation purposes than an English Band 6 colleague at the same pay point. Scotland also uses a six-band income tax system, which produces different take-home figures at the same gross salary.

Local Trust policies on supplements, bank shifts, and annual leave carry-over also vary. Many NHS employees find their payslips differ slightly from calculator estimates because their Trust applies local recruitment and retention premia or area supplements that are not part of the standard AfC calculation.

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The NHS Maternity Pay Calculator: What You Need and What You Get

The calculator above shows your take-home pay — net of income tax, National Insurance, and NHS pension contributions — for all 52 weeks of maternity leave. Every other publicly available NHS maternity pay calculator either shows gross figures only, or uses outdated 2025/26 rates. This calculator uses confirmed 2026/27 rates (SMP £194.32/week, LEL £129/week) and pre-populated AfC 2026/27 pay scales.

What information do I need to use the calculator?

You need five pieces of information. All of them are on your payslip or MATB1 certificate.

1. Your baby's due date. Found on your MATB1 certificate, issued by your midwife or GP after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This date drives all key-date calculations.
2. Your AfC band and pay point. Found on your contract or payslip. Select your band (2–9) and pay point (entry, intermediate, or top). The calculator pre-fills your 2026/27 salary from the NHS Employers pay scales.
3. Your continuous NHS service start date. The date you first started working for any NHS employer. Found on your contract. Used to check whether you have 12 months' service for OMP and 26 weeks' service for SMP.
4. Your intended maternity leave start date. You can start between 11 weeks before your due date and the day before your due date.
5. Your HCAS zone (if applicable). If you work in London or surrounding areas, select your zone (Inner, Outer, or Fringe). The calculator adds the correct High Cost Area Supplement to your AWE.

Optional inputs — NHS pension tier, tax code, salary sacrifice amounts, KIT days, spread pay preference, and return-to-work intention — refine your output further.

NHS Maternity Pay Worked Examples — Bands 5, 6, and 7

The three examples below use 2026/27 entry salaries from the official NHS Employers AfC pay circular, (nhsemployers.org): Band 5 entry £32,073, Band 6 entry £39,959, Band 7 entry £49,387. All figures are for England with a standard 1257L tax code, 6.5% pension for Band 5, 8.3% for Band 6, and 8.3% for Band 7. No HCAS. No salary sacrifice. Standard phasing (not spread).

Band 5 Entry — £32,073 per year — AWE £616.79/week

Normal annual take-home (Band 5 entry): approximately £25,900. Maternity difference: approximately −£12,905.

Band 6 Entry — £39,959 per year — AWE £768.44/week

Band 7 Entry — £49,387 per year — AWE £949.75/week

Net estimates use standard England PAYE rates (personal allowance £12,570, basic rate 20%), Class 1 NI at 8% on earnings £242–£967/week, and the relevant NHS pension tier. Your actual figures depend on your specific tax code, any salary sacrifice, and local Trust variations. Always verify final figures with your payroll team.

Why does my NHS maternity pay calculator show less than I expected?

The four most common reasons the calculator produces a lower figure than you anticipated are:

1. SMP is not added on top of full pay in weeks 1–8. It is inclusive within your full salary. The calculator correctly applies the offset rather than adding £194.32 to your normal pay.
2. Tax is deducted on all maternity pay. Both OMP and SMP pass through PAYE. You still pay income tax on the full-pay and half-pay phases.
3. NHS pension contributions continue during paid weeks. Your contributions are calculated on actual pay received — so during weeks 9–26 (half pay), your pension deduction falls, but it does not disappear.
4. The half pay + SMP cap in weeks 9–26. If your half-weekly salary plus £194.32 exceeds your normal weekly pay, the SMP is simply absorbed. The combined amount is capped at your full rate. A Band 7 nurse earning £949.75/week has a half-pay of £474.88 — adding £194.32 gives £669.20, which is less than £949.75, so no cap applies. But for a lower-earning Band 3 employee at £494.23/week AWE, half pay is £247.12. Adding £194.32 gives £441.44 — below the full rate, so the cap does not trigger either. The cap activates when half pay + £194.32 would exceed full pay, which only occurs if the employee earns less than approximately £388.64 per week (roughly £20,209 per year). Most AfC Band 3+ employees are not affected by the cap, but it is still worth understanding.

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Am I Eligible for NHS Maternity Pay? OMP and SMP Qualifying Criteria

NHS employees may qualify for two separate maternity pay entitlements, each with different qualifying conditions. OMP requires longer NHS service. SMP has a lower service threshold and applies to most employees in any sector. You can qualify for OMP only, SMP only, both, or neither — depending on your circumstances.

Who qualifies for Occupational Maternity Pay (OMP)?

You qualify for OMP if you meet all four of the following conditions (nhsemployers.org — AfC TCS Section 15):

•  12 months continuous NHS service by the beginning of the 11th week before your Expected Week of Childbirth (EWC)
•  Employment under Agenda for Change terms and conditions
•  Written notification to your employer of your pregnancy and intention to return to NHS employment
•  Intention to return to NHS employment for at least 3 months after the end of maternity leave

Note the precision: the 12-month threshold is measured to the start of the 11th week before your EWC — not the 15th week. These are different dates. Several online sources conflate them, which can cause employees to incorrectly believe they do not qualify.

If you receive OMP and do not return to NHS employment for at least 3 months, you must repay the OMP in full. SMP is never repaid. The repayment obligation applies to the OMP enhancement only — not to the SMP component your employer paid on the government's behalf.

Who qualifies for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)?

You qualify for SMP if you meet all of the following conditions (gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility):

•  26 weeks of continuous employment by the end of the qualifying week (the 15th week before your due date — meaning 41 weeks of total employment before your due date)
•  Average Weekly Earnings of at least £129 during the relevant period (the LEL for 2026/27), (employeehandbooktemplateuk.co.uk)
•  Employed for at least one day during the qualifying week
•  MATB1 certificate provided to your employer
•  At least 28 days' notice given of when SMP should start

What if I work part-time, on a bank contract, or for NHS Professionals?

Part-time employees: OMP is calculated on your actual contractual pay — not on your full-time equivalent (FTE) salary. A 0.6 WTE Band 6 nurse at £39,959 FTE receives OMP based on her actual contractual salary of £23,975. Her AWE is calculated on her actual earnings, not the Band 6 full-time rate. For SMP eligibility, her AWE must still meet the £129/week LEL on her actual part-time earnings. Most part-time NHS employees above Band 2 clear this threshold, but part-time workers on very short contracts should check.

Part-time NHS employees frequently assume their OMP will be calculated on their full-time equivalent salary. It is not. A 0.6 WTE Band 6 community nurse receives OMP based on her actual 0.6 contractual pay — not the full Band 6 rate. This is the most financially significant miscalculation we see from part-time staff, and it can mean the actual maternity income is thousands of pounds less than expected.

NHS bank and NHSP staff: NHS Professionals (NHSP) and bank workers have different service continuity rules. Service continuity for OMP purposes requires employment under an AfC contract without a break exceeding 3 months. NHSP bank workers are employed by NHSP rather than directly by an NHS Trust. Their service with NHSP may qualify for OMP if it has been continuous for 12 months — but the rules depend on the specific employment arrangement. Check directly with NHSP's HR team before assuming OMP eligibility.

Fixed-term contract (FTC) employees: FTC employees retain full AfC Section 15 entitlements if their service criteria are met. A contract ending during maternity leave does not automatically stop OMP payments. If your FTC would have continued but for redundancy or non-renewal, your entitlements remain protected. Check with your Trust HR and your trade union.

What happens to my OMP if I don't return to the NHS?

If you receive OMP and do not return to NHS employment for at least 3 months, your Trust can require full repayment of the OMP you received. The repayment obligation does not apply to SMP — that element can never be clawed back.

The repayment amount is the total OMP you received minus the SMP that would have been paid regardless of your employment status. The OMP enhancement is the uplift above SMP — the element your Trust funded directly. The calculator above shows your exact repayment liability when you set the "Returning to NHS?" toggle to "No."

Repaying OMP is not always the financially worse choice. For a Band 5 nurse whose OMP repayment liability is approximately £4,200 (the OMP enhancement above SMP for weeks 1–26), a private-sector role paying £6,000 more per year recoups the repayment in under 9 months. What matters is knowing the exact figure before making the decision. No one at your Trust will volunteer it unprompted.

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Your NHS Maternity Leave Key Dates: EWC, Qualifying Week, and Notification Deadline

Every key date in NHS maternity leave derives from one starting point: the Expected Week of Childbirth (EWC). Once you know your EWC, the qualifying week, notification deadline, earliest leave start, and sickness trigger date all follow from it automatically.

What is the Expected Week of Childbirth (EWC) and how do I find mine?

The Expected Week of Childbirth (EWC) is the Sunday-to-Saturday week that contains your baby's due date. If your due date is Wednesday 15 October 2026, your EWC runs from Sunday 11 October to Saturday 17 October 2026. Every maternity pay and leave calculation — your qualifying week, your AWE relevant period, your notification deadline, and your earliest leave start — is measured back from your EWC, (gov.uk/guidance/statutory-maternity-pay-manually-calculate-your-employees-payments).

The term "Expected Week of Confinement" means exactly the same thing. It is the older legislative wording still found in some HMRC and NHS documents. If your MATB1 or employer paperwork references the "expected week of confinement," it is referring to your EWC.

Your MATB1 certificate contains your due date. Your GP or midwife issues it after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The calculator above automatically derives your EWC — and all other key dates — from the due date you enter.

What is the qualifying week for maternity pay and why does it matter?

The qualifying week is the 15th week before your EWC — and it is the most important date in your maternity pay calculation (gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility). Three things happen at the qualifying week simultaneously:

1. Your eligibility is assessed. Both OMP (12-month service) and SMP (26-week service + LEL) are checked against this date.
2. Your AWE relevant period ends. Your Average Weekly Earnings are calculated from the last payday on or before the Saturday of the qualifying week.
3. Your notification deadline falls. You must tell your employer about your pregnancy by the last day of the qualifying week.

Missing the notification deadline does not forfeit your maternity pay entitlement. It may cause your employer to delay payment temporarily. If you miss it, notify your employer in writing as soon as possible and explain why. Your right to OMP and SMP is not cancelled by late notification.

When do I need to tell my employer I'm pregnant?

You must notify your employer by the last day of the qualifying week — 15 weeks before your due date. Your notification must include three things:

1. Confirmation that you are pregnant
2. Your Expected Week of Childbirth
3. The date you want your maternity leave to start

You do not need to provide your MATB1 certificate at the point of notification. The MATB1 is only available after 20 weeks, and your notification deadline may fall before 20 weeks for some pregnancies. Provide the MATB1 as soon as it is issued.

What is the sickness trigger date and what happens if I'm off sick near my due date?

The sickness trigger date is 28 days before your due date. If you are absent from work with a pregnancy-related illness at any point from that date onwards, your maternity leave begins automatically the following day — regardless of your planned start date (gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/leave).

This automatic trigger cannot be deferred or overridden. It shifts your entire pay phase calendar forward from the original planned start date. If you planned to work until week 38 and are signed off at week 36 with a pregnancy-related condition such as symphysis pubis dysfunction or pre-eclampsia, your maternity leave — and your OMP clock — begins the day after the sickness starts. Your full-pay phase (weeks 1–8), half-pay phase (weeks 9–26), and SMP-only phase (weeks 27–39) all shift accordingly.

This catches many NHS employees off guard — particularly those working long shifts on wards and community settings where pregnancy-related illness is common in the final weeks. The calculator's sickness trigger date output shows the exact date from which this automatic trigger applies for your pregnancy.

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How is NHS Maternity Pay Calculated? Understanding Average Weekly Earnings

Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) drives two things: your SMP eligibility and the rate you receive for the first 6 weeks of SMP. Getting AWE right — particularly the relevant period and the no-rounding rule — is the difference between an accurate calculation and one that understates or overstates your entitlement.

What is the AWE relevant period (test period) and when does it fall?

The relevant period — sometimes called the test period or AWE calculation period — is the earnings window used to calculate your AWE. The end of the relevant period is the last normal payday on or before the Saturday of the qualifying week. The start is the day after the last normal payday falling at least 8 weeks before that end date (gov.uk/guidance/statutory-maternity-pay-manually-calculate-your-employees-payments).

Worked example for a monthly-paid nurse:

• Due date: Wednesday 15 October 2026
• Qualifying week: Sunday 28 June – Saturday 4 July 2026
• Last payday on or before 4 July 2026 (paid on last working day of month): Thursday 30 June 2026
• Count back 2 months: relevant period = 1 May 2026 to 30 June 2026
• Use gross pay from the May and June payslips

The calculator automatically determines these dates from the due date you enter. You do not need to calculate them manually.

What counts towards my Average Weekly Earnings?

AWE must include all earnings on which Class 1 National Insurance contributions are due, or would be due if earnings were high enough (gov.uk/guidance/statutory-maternity-pay-manually-calculate-your-employees-payments).

The no-rounding rule: The GOV.UK guidance states explicitly: "Do not round the figure up or down to whole pence" (gov.uk/guidance/statutory-maternity-pay-manually-calculate-your-employees-payments). Use the full-precision AWE figure — for example £616.790384615 — not £616.79 rounded. This is a legal requirement, not a recommendation.

AWE formula for monthly-paid NHS staff:

1. Add gross pay from your 2 monthly payslips in the relevant period
2. Divide by 2
3. Multiply by 12
4. Divide by 52
5. Do not round the result

AWE formula for weekly-paid NHS staff:

1. Add total gross earnings across all weekly payslips in the relevant period
2. Divide by 8 (the number of weeks)
3. Do not round the result

Salary sacrifice warning: If you participate in salary sacrifice schemes — childcare vouchers, cycle-to-work, additional pension contributions — these reduce your contractual gross pay. Your AWE is calculated on the post-sacrifice figure. For most full-time NHS employees well above the £129 LEL, salary sacrifice has no effect on SMP eligibility. But for a part-time employee earning £18,000 (AWE £346.15) who sacrifices £2,000 per year, their effective salary falls to £16,000 (AWE £307.69) — still above the LEL but with a narrowing margin.

Do not increase your salary sacrifice contributions during your AWE relevant period — even for a legitimate reason such as buying back additional pension years. Higher sacrifice in those specific two months reduces your AWE and could affect your first-6-week SMP rate. Time any salary sacrifice changes to take effect after your qualifying week.

What if my AWE period falls during sick leave or existing maternity leave?

If your AWE relevant period falls during a period when you were on sick leave at half pay or nil pay, your employer must calculate AWE on the basis of notional full pay — the pay you would have received had you not been sick (nhsemployers.org/articles/terms-and-conditions — AfC TCS Section 15).

The same rule applies if you become pregnant while already on maternity leave, which AfC Section 15.22(iv) addresses directly. If the relevant period for your second pregnancy falls during your first maternity leave — when you may be receiving only SMP or no pay — your employer calculates AWE on the basis of notional full pay from your original salary. This means your second period of OMP is not undermined by the reduced earnings of your first leave.

The NHS Employers guidance provides a worked example of this exact scenario, (nhsemployers.org/articles/calculating-maternity-pay-concurrent-periods-maternity-leave). If you are pregnant for the second time while still on maternity leave, tell your employer as early as possible and specifically ask them to apply the notional full pay provision. They should use the same AWE figure as your first pregnancy, adjusted for any pay awards or increments that have occurred since.

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Should I Spread My NHS Maternity Pay? OMP Over 52 Weeks vs. Standard Phases

NHS employees can choose between two payment structures for their Occupational Maternity Pay. The decision has a real impact on monthly take-home pay and, for higher earners, on how much income tax they pay over the year.

How does spread OMP work and what are the rules?

Under standard phasing, your OMP is paid at full pay for weeks 1–8 and half pay for weeks 9–26, with SMP on top. Under spread OMP, your employer calculates your total OMP entitlement — the sum of the full-pay and half-pay phases — and divides it evenly across all 52 weeks of leave.

Two rules govern the spread option:

1. SMP cannot be spread. When you choose spread OMP, your SMP still runs from the start of leave (weeks 1–6 at 90% AWE, weeks 7–39 at £194.32). However, the OMP calculation changes: your SMP starts 8 weeks after your leave begins, with the spread OMP payment running alongside it from week 1 (bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/maternity-paternity-and-adoption/finance/maternity-leave-pay-entitlements-under-the-nhs-scheme).
2. Request through HR before leave starts. You cannot change your payment method after maternity leave has begun. Submit your spread pay request in writing when you notify your employer of your maternity leave dates. Keep a copy.

Does spreading my NHS maternity pay save tax — and by how much?

Spreading OMP can reduce your total income tax bill across the maternity year — sometimes by a material amount.

Under standard phasing, your income is high in months 1–2 (full pay) and zero in months 10–12 (unpaid). PAYE calculates tax month by month using your cumulative income. High-income months may push you into higher-rate territory or trigger clawback of personal allowance. Low or zero-income months generate partial tax refunds through PAYE, but the refund process is slow and does not always fully offset the earlier over-deduction.

Spread OMP creates a consistent monthly income throughout all 52 weeks. For employees whose standard full-pay months would tip them into the 40% higher-rate band (above £50,270 in England and Wales), keeping income at a lower, even level each month can mean all income stays in the 20% basic rate band — producing a meaningfully higher total take-home.

NHS employees discussing this on community forums have noted being over £2,000 per year better off using the spread option after accounting for tax differences. The after-tax benefit depends on your salary band and tax position — it is not universal.

Illustrative example only: Band 6 entry £39,959, England, standard tax code, 8.3% pension. SMP is included in the gross figures. Spread monthly figures are approximate. Actual net depends on exact leave start date and PAYE cumulation.

Who benefits from spread pay:

• Higher-band employees (Band 6+) whose full-pay months approach or cross the higher-rate tax threshold
• Employees who plan to take all 52 weeks of leave
• Employees who find variable monthly income difficult to budget around

Who does not benefit from spread pay:

• Employees who plan to return before week 39. If you return at month 9, you will have received 9 months of evenly spread OMP — but missed the weeks 40–52 OMP payments that the spread design depends on. In this case, standard phasing delivers more total income.
• Employees in lower bands whose combined income at no point approaches the higher-rate threshold. If all your maternity income stays in the basic-rate band regardless of phasing, spread pay produces no tax saving.

Spreading OMP is not automatically better. The calculator above models both scenarios side by side so you can see your personal monthly net figures before deciding.

How do I request spread pay from my NHS Trust?

Follow these four steps:

1. Write to your manager or HR team confirming you want to use the spread OMP payment option.
2. Include this in your maternity leave notification letter so the request and the notification are in one document.
3. Ask payroll to confirm in writing how they will administer the spread — specifically when SMP will start and how the OMP portion will appear on payslips.
4. Keep copies of all correspondence. Spread pay administration varies slightly between Trusts.

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KIT Days, NHS Pension, and the Pay-Rise Recalculation Rule

Three elements of NHS maternity leave sit outside the main payment phases but have a real financial impact: Keeping in Touch days, NHS pension contributions during leave, and the obligation on employers to recalculate OMP when a pay award takes effect.

What are KIT days and how do they affect my NHS maternity pay?

Keeping in Touch (KIT) days allow you to work up to 10 days during maternity leave without ending your leave period or losing SMP. You can use KIT days at any point during maternity leave, including the unpaid weeks 40–52.

The rules are:

1. KIT days are entirely voluntary for both you and your employer. Your employer cannot require you to attend.
2. You are paid at your normal daily rate for each KIT day.
3. Any amount of work on a given day — even one hour — uses one full KIT day.
4. Working more than 10 KIT days ends your SMP entitlement from the 11th day.
5. KIT days do not extend your maternity leave period.

Common legitimate uses include mandatory training, NMC revalidation events, team handovers, ward orientation for a new role, clinical skills maintenance, and attending promotion interviews.

KIT days are most valuable for Band 6 and Band 7 nurses approaching revalidation deadlines or mandatory training windows that cannot be rescheduled. Using 3–4 KIT days for mandatory training during the unpaid weeks 40–52 converts zero-pay weeks into paid working days — typically worth £175–£250 per day at Band 6 and Band 7 entry rates respectively. The calculator adds your planned KIT day income to your total take-home figure.

Do I pay into my NHS pension during maternity leave?

Yes, during paid weeks (weeks 1–39), NHS pension contributions continue — but based on your actual pay received, not your full salary. During weeks 9–26 (half pay), your employee pension contributions fall proportionally. Your employer's contributions, however, are calculated on your full contractual pay throughout the paid period.

During the unpaid weeks 40–52, neither you nor your employer makes pension contributions. Your NHS pension membership remains continuous — there is no gap in scheme membership — but your pensionable service for those 13 weeks is not built up unless you later choose to buy the period back.

The option to buy back the unpaid period is available through the NHS pension scheme. You pay the contributions for those 13 weeks at a later date, which restores the full-year pensionable service. Contact the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) for the current buy-back rates.

The 2015 NHS Pension Scheme contribution tiers are:

Will I get the NHS pay rise if I'm on maternity leave — and does it change my OMP?

Yes — and your employer is legally required to recalculate your OMP if a pay award takes effect during your paid maternity leave.

This obligation flows from the Alabaster ruling — the 2004 Court of Appeal decision in Alabaster v Barclays Bank, which established that a pay rise must be reflected in maternity pay even when it occurs after the AWE calculation period. The NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook Section 15 applies this principle directly: where a pay award or annual increment takes effect during paid maternity leave, the maternity pay due from the date of the award must be increased accordingly. If the award is agreed retrospectively, the maternity pay is recalculated on the same basis (bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/maternity-paternity-and-adoption/finance/maternity-leave-pay-entitlements-under-the-nhs-scheme).

There are two scenarios where recalculation applies:

Scenario A: Pay rise takes effect before your leave starts, but during or after your AWE relevant period. Your employer must recalculate AWE as if the higher pay had applied throughout the entire relevant period — even if the pay rise was announced after your AWE reference dates, (employerkit.com).

Scenario B: Pay rise takes effect during your paid maternity leave (weeks 1–39). Your OMP increases from the effective date of the award. Your employer must pay the difference for all weeks from the award date onwards. If the award is backdated, the entire unpaid difference must be settled.

The 2026/27 AfC pay award and what it means for you. From 1 April 2026, all AfC staff in England and Wales received a 3.3% consolidated pay rise (nhspaybands.org.uk). Scotland agreed a separate 3.75% uplift for the same period (nhspaybands.org.uk).

Any NHS employee currently on maternity leave whose leave spans 1 April 2026 is directly affected. Their Trust must recalculate their OMP from 1 April 2026 using the new higher salary.

Worked example (Scenario B): A Band 5 entry nurse starts maternity leave on 1 February 2026 on the 2025/26 salary of £31,049. Her OMP for weeks 1–8 is calculated at £596.52/week. The 3.3% AfC pay award takes effect 1 April 2026 — during her week 9 of maternity leave. Her new 2026/27 salary is £32,073. Her employer must recalculate her OMP from 1 April 2026 using the new rate — approximately £616.79/week as the base. The recalculated half-pay for the remainder of weeks 9–26 increases accordingly, and any underpaid amount must be paid retrospectively.

If your employer has not automatically recalculated your OMP following the April 2026 pay award, raise it directly with your payroll department, citing AfC Section 15 and the Alabaster principle. Your trade union — RCN, Unison, or BMA — can provide support if the employer does not respond.

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What Happens If I Don't Return to the NHS After Maternity Leave?

If you received Occupational Maternity Pay, you must return to NHS employment for at least 3 months after the end of your maternity leave — or repay the OMP in full. Statutory Maternity Pay is never repaid, regardless of whether you return.

The 3-month return rule — what counts and what doesn't

The 3-month return can be fulfilled at any NHS employer — not necessarily the Trust that paid your OMP. It can be in any role and at any contracted hours. A Band 7 ward manager who returns as a Band 5 bank nurse at a different Trust for 3 months satisfies the obligation.

Annual leave taken immediately after maternity leave counts toward the 3-month return period. If your maternity leave ends on 1 October and you take 4 weeks of accrued annual leave before your first working shift, that annual leave counts. You do not need to be physically at work for 3 months — you need to be employed by an NHS organisation for 3 months.

What does not count: working for an independent sector provider, a private hospital, or an agency that is not an NHS body. The return must be to NHS employment (nhstakehomepaycalculator.co.uk/tools/nhs-maternity-pay-calculator/).

Changing Trusts during maternity leave does not end your OMP. The Trust that employed you when your leave began remains responsible for your OMP payments. Your new Trust's service clock starts fresh for the purposes of any future maternity leave.

How much would I have to repay — and is it always the wrong choice?

The repayment amount is not the total OMP you received. It is the total OMP received minus the SMP that would have been paid regardless. SMP is never repaid. The net repayment is the OMP enhancement only — the uplift your NHS Trust funded directly above what HMRC covered.

The calculator above shows your exact repayment liability when you set the "Returning to NHS?" toggle to "No." This figure represents the maximum cash amount your Trust can reclaim.

For a Band 5 entry nurse at £32,073, the approximate OMP enhancement above SMP across weeks 1–26 is calculated as follows: weeks 1–8 are full pay at AWE £616.79/week; the SMP component within those weeks is £194.32/week; the OMP-above-SMP element for weeks 1–8 is approximately £422/week × 8 = £3,376. Weeks 9–26: half pay £308.40/week; SMP £194.32/week; combined £502.72/week; OMP enhancement above SMP for this phase is approximately £308.40/week × 18 = £5,551. Total OMP enhancement (the repayable amount) is approximately £8,927.

Repaying £8,927 is not automatically the wrong financial decision. If the alternative is a private-sector role paying £12,000 more per year, the repayment is recovered in under 9 months. The decision requires knowing the exact figure — which no one at your Trust will tell you unless you ask.

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NHS Maternity Pay for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

The OMP entitlement structure — 8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay, 13 weeks SMP, 13 weeks unpaid — applies identically across all four UK nations. It derives from the national AfC Section 15 terms, which cover every NHS Trust and Board in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. What differs between nations is the underlying pay rate and the income tax system — both of which affect take-home pay materially.

NHS Scotland maternity pay — pay award and income tax differences

Scotland agreed a separate AfC pay award of 3.75% from 1 April 2026 — compared to 3.3% in England and Wales (nhspaybands.org.uk). This means Scottish AfC employees have a higher base salary than English colleagues at equivalent bands, which directly increases OMP entitlement.

Scotland also operates a six-band income tax system, which produces materially different take-home calculations at the same gross salary (nhstakehome.co.uk). The six bands are: starter rate 19%, basic rate 20%, intermediate rate 21%, higher rate 42%, advanced rate 45%, and top rate 48%. A Band 6 nurse in Scotland whose full-pay maternity income falls into the intermediate band (above £27,491) pays 21% income tax on that portion — one percentage point higher than an English colleague in the basic rate band. Over the full-pay and half-pay phases, this difference is measurable.

The calculator's region toggle switches to Scottish income tax bands when Scotland is selected, and uses the Scottish AfC 3.75% pay scale. NHS Scotland also operates a 36-hour contracted full-time week, compared to 37.5 hours in England. This affects the hourly rate calculation for part-time staff.

NHS Scotland also operates its own official maternity leave calculator for NHSScotland workforce employees, available at workforce.nhs.scot/calculators/maternity-leave-calculator/.

NHS Wales and Northern Ireland maternity pay

Wales: AfC terms and the 3.3% pay award apply to NHS Wales employees (nhspaybands.org.uk). Wales follows the England and Wales tax system — there is no separate Welsh income tax rate for the purposes of maternity pay deductions. The calculator applies identically to NHS Wales employees using the England/Wales settings. Confirm any Wales-specific recruitment or retention supplements with your local HR team.

Northern Ireland: AfC Section 15 applies to HSC Trust employees in Northern Ireland. Employment rights in Northern Ireland are governed by the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 rather than the Employment Rights Act 1996, but the maternity pay entitlement structure under AfC is the same. The 3.3% pay award applies to Northern Ireland (nhspaybands.org.uk). Northern Ireland income tax follows UK-wide rates. Doctors in Northern Ireland should refer to BMA NI guidance for any locally negotiated variations.

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NHS Maternity Pay: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The six mistakes below are the most frequent errors NHS employees make when calculating or planning their maternity pay. Each one has a real financial consequence.

1. Assuming full pay in weeks 1–8 means full pay plus SMP on top. SMP is included within your full pay — it is offset, not added. Your payslip in weeks 1–8 shows your normal salary, not your normal salary plus £194.32. This is the most universal misunderstanding in NHS maternity pay. The structure is designed so your employer pays full pay (reclaiming the SMP portion from HMRC), not so you receive an extra payment.

2. Budgeting from gross figures rather than net take-home. All competitor calculators except two show gross maternity pay. Gross and net differ by 20–35% in the full-pay and half-pay phases once income tax, NI, and NHS pension contributions are deducted. A Band 6 nurse who budgets on her £39,959 gross salary and assumes her maternity pay will be "half that" at £19,980 may find her actual take-home across the year is closer to £14,500 after deductions. Always budget from net.

3. Missing the salary sacrifice impact on AWE during the relevant period. Salary sacrifice reduces the gross pay on which NI is calculated. Your AWE is calculated on your post-sacrifice earnings. Most full-time NHS employees are well above the £129 LEL regardless. But if you are part-time, already near the LEL threshold, or if you are considering increasing your salary sacrifice contributions — time those changes carefully. Do not increase salary sacrifice during your AWE relevant period.

4. Missing the OMP notification deadline and assuming rights are forfeited. Notification by the qualifying week deadline is required, but missing it does not cancel your entitlement. It may delay payment. If you miss the deadline, notify your employer in writing immediately, provide a reason, and request OMP from the correct date. Your Trust cannot permanently deny OMP on the grounds of a late notification where you had good reason for the delay.

5. Not chasing OMP recalculation after an AfC pay award. Employers are legally required to recalculate OMP when a pay award takes effect. Many NHS payroll teams do not do this proactively for employees on maternity leave. If the April 2026 pay award took effect during your leave and your payslip did not increase, raise it with payroll explicitly. Quote AfC Section 15 and the Alabaster principle. If your employer does not respond, your trade union can pursue this as a formal pay dispute.

6. Assuming the 3-month NHS return must be at the same Trust. The return obligation is satisfied by working for any NHS employer — in any role, at any contracted hours — for 3 months after the end of maternity leave. You do not need to return to the same ward, the same band, or the same Trust. A community nurse who returns as a bank healthcare assistant at a different Trust for 3 months satisfies the condition in full.

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Frequently Asked Questions About NHS Maternity Pay

How much SMP will I get per week from April 2026?

From 6 April 2026, the Statutory Maternity Pay rate is £194.32 per week for weeks 7–39, or 90% of your Average Weekly Earnings if that is lower. For the first 6 weeks, SMP is paid at 90% of your AWE with no upper cap. The vast majority of NHS employees earn above the £208/week threshold at which the flat rate applies (employeehandbooktemplateuk.co.uk).

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Does NHS full pay in weeks 1–8 include SMP or is it paid on top?

NHS full pay in weeks 1–8 is inclusive of SMP. SMP is offset within your normal salary — your employer pays your full salary and reclaims the SMP portion from HMRC. You receive one normal payslip showing your standard pay, not your normal pay plus an additional SMP payment. No extra money is added.

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Can I spread my NHS maternity pay over 12 months?

Yes. You can request that your Occupational Maternity Pay is averaged out and paid evenly across all 52 weeks of leave. Statutory Maternity Pay cannot be spread — it starts 8 weeks after leave begins when spread OMP is chosen. Submit your request in writing to your NHS Trust HR department before your maternity leave starts (bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/maternity-paternity-and-adoption/finance/maternity-leave-pay-entitlements-under-the-nhs-scheme).

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Will I get the NHS pay rise if I'm on maternity leave?

Yes. Under AfC Section 15, if a pay award takes effect during your paid maternity leave, your OMP must be recalculated upward from the effective date. The April 2026 3.3% England AfC award affects every employee whose paid leave spans April 2026. If your employer has not increased your OMP automatically, raise it with payroll citing the Alabaster ruling and AfC Section 15 (bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/maternity-paternity-and-adoption/finance/maternity-leave-pay-entitlements-under-the-nhs-scheme).

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Do I pay into my NHS pension while on maternity leave?

During paid maternity leave (weeks 1–39), NHS pension contributions continue based on actual pay received in each phase. During unpaid weeks 40–52, no contributions are made, but scheme membership remains continuous. You can choose to buy back the unpaid period later by paying the missing contributions through the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).

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What is the difference between OMP and SMP for NHS staff?

OMP (Occupational Maternity Pay) is the NHS-enhanced element paid by your Trust under Agenda for Change — 8 weeks at full pay and 18 weeks at half pay — and requires 12 months of continuous NHS service. SMP (Statutory Maternity Pay) is the government-minimum payment funded through HMRC, covering 39 weeks and requiring only 26 weeks of employment. Both apply to eligible NHS employees simultaneously, with SMP included within the OMP calculation rather than added on top.

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This calculator and supporting content use confirmed 2026/27 rates: SMP £194.32 per week and LEL £129 per week from 6 April 2026, (employeehandbooktemplateuk.co.uk); AfC pay scales from 1 April 2026 after the 3.3% England award, (nhsemployers.org/articles/pay-scales-202627). NHS OMP follows AfC Section 15 of the NHS TCS Handbook. Results are indicative — verify final figures with your payroll department, as local Trust policies may vary.