Frequently Asked Questions

SMP is the UK statutory maternity benefit paid by employers (and reclaimed mostly from HMRC) to employees taking maternity leave. To qualify you must have been continuously employed by the same employer for at least 26 weeks ending the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth (EWC), and your average weekly earnings (AWE) must be at least £125 (the Lower Earnings Limit for 2026-27). SMP pays 6 weeks at 90% AWE then 33 weeks at the lower of £187.18/week or 90% AWE.

You claim whichever you qualify for. SMP requires 26 weeks continuous employment with the same employer; Maternity Allowance requires only 26 weeks of any work (employed or self-employed) in the 66 weeks before EWC. If your employer issues an SMP1 form stating you do not qualify for SMP, claim Maternity Allowance from DWP. Both pay at the same flat rate of £187.18/week — but SMP includes the 6 weeks at 90% AWE which MA does not.

SPP is paid to partners of birth mothers (and adopting parents) for up to 2 weeks at the lower of £187.18/week or 90% AWE. Eligibility requires 26 weeks continuous employment with the same employer at the 15th week before EWC. Since the Paternity Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024, the 2 weeks can be split into two separate blocks anywhere in the first year after birth — previously they had to be taken in one block within the first 8 weeks.

SPL lets two eligible parents share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay during the first year after birth or adoption. The birth parent must curtail their SMP/MA to free up the SPL allowance. ShPP (the pay element) is flat-rate from week 1 at £187.18/week — there is no 90% AWE step. Both parents must satisfy continuity and earnings tests. Uptake is low (around 4-5% of eligible families) due to eligibility friction and the flat-rate pay disincentive.

Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) tops up parent contributions by 25%: for every £8 you pay into an online childcare account, the government adds £2, up to £2,000/year per child (£4,000 if disabled). Eligibility requires each working parent to earn at least £167.94/week (16 hours at National Living Wage) and neither earning over £100,000. Children must be 11 or under (16 if disabled), and childcare must be Ofsted-registered. TFC is mutually exclusive with Universal Credit childcare element and childcare vouchers.

Yes — they combine. The 30 free hours covers up to 30 hours/week during term time (38 weeks/year) for working parents with children 9 months to school age. Tax-Free Childcare subsidises additional hours (e.g. if your nursery booking is 35 hours/week, the 30 hours covers most and TFC contributes to the extra 5). Both schemes require the same eligibility (both parents earning above £167.94/week, neither over £100,000), and you apply through the same gov.uk childcare account.

Many UK employers do. Typical packages: 6-26 weeks at 100% pay then drop to SMP. Around 50-65% of large employers enhance SMP; far fewer (15-25%) enhance Shared Parental Pay at the same level. The detail varies by sector and employer size. Check your contract, staff handbook, or HR portal for the policy applicable to you. Many enhanced packages include a return-to-work clawback (typically 3-6 months) where if you leave shortly after returning the enhanced portion must be repaid.

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Statutory rates are uprated annually each April. PlainMaternity refreshes within 30 days of each uprating. The bottom of every page carries a "last reviewed" date stamp. We track HMRC and GOV.UK source pages for changes and refresh content within 30 days of any material update. For the definitive position on a specific case, always also check the HMRC source linked on each leave-type page.

No. PlainMaternity is an independent publisher, an independent data-journalism publisher. We are not affiliated with HMRC, GOV.UK, ACAS, Maternity Action, the DWP, or any employer. We provide a free reference and projection tool built from publicly-available primary sources. For regulated employment-rights advice, contact ACAS (0300 123 1100), Citizens Advice, or a UK employment solicitor.