Payroll

Statutory Maternity Pay: Table of Dates for Employee Entitlement

Elena Segura

Cofounder

Apr 10, 2025

Statutory Maternity Pay: Table of Dates for Employee Entitlement

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is available to eligible employees who have been with their employer long enough before taking maternity leave. The tables below help you check whether your employee was employed early enough to qualify for SMP, based on their expected week of childbirth.

Eligibility Overview

To qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay, the employee must:

  • Have been employed by you for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before the baby is due.

  • Earn at least £125 per week (2024/25 tax year) before tax.

This means the employee must have been working for you by the end of the qualifying week. The table helps you quickly check the latest start date for an employee to be eligible, based on their expected week of childbirth (EWC).

Maternity Pay Qualification Table 25-26

| Due Week      | Qual. Week   | Start By  | +11 Wk     | +4 Wk     |
|---------------|--------------|-----------|------------|-----------|
| 30 Mar–5 Apr  | 15–21 Dec    | 29 Jun 24 | 12 Jan 25  | 2 Mar 25  |
| 6–12 Apr      | 22–28 Dec    | 6 Jul 24  | 19 Jan 25  | 9 Mar 25  |
| 13–19 Apr     | 29 Dec–4 Jan | 13 Jul 24 | 26 Jan 25  | 16 Mar 25 |
| 20–26 Apr     | 5–11 Jan     | 20 Jul 24 | 2 Feb 25   | 23 Mar 25 |
| 27 Apr–3 May  | 12–18 Jan    | 27 Jul 24 | 9 Feb 25   | 30 Mar 25 |
| 4–10 May      | 19–25 Jan    | 3 Aug 24  | 16 Feb 25  | 6 Apr 25  |
| 11–17 May     | 26 Jan–1 Feb | 10 Aug 24 | 23 Feb 25  | 13 Apr 25 |
| 18–24 May     | 2–8 Feb      | 17 Aug 24 | 2 Mar 25   | 20 Apr 25 |
| 25–31 May     | 9–15 Feb     | 24 Aug 24 | 9 Mar 25   | 27 Apr 25 |
| 1–7 Jun       | 16–22 Feb    | 31 Aug 24 | 16 Mar 25  | 4 May 25  |
| 8–14 Jun      | 23 Feb–1 Mar | 7 Sep 24  | 23 Mar 25  | 11 May 25 |
| 15–21 Jun     | 2–8 Mar      | 14 Sep 24 | 30 Mar 25  | 18 May 25 |
| 22–28 Jun     | 9–15 Mar     | 21 Sep 24 | 6 Apr 25   | 25 May 25 |
| 29 Jun–5 Jul  | 16–22 Mar    | 28 Sep 24 | 13 Apr 25  | 1 Jun 25  |
| 6–12 Jul      | 23–29 Mar    | 5 Oct 24  | 20 Apr 25  | 8 Jun 25  |
| 13–19 Jul     | 30 Mar–5 Apr | 12 Oct 24 | 27 Apr 25  | 15 Jun 25 |
| 20–26 Jul     | 6–12 Apr     | 19 Oct 24 | 4 May 25   | 22 Jun 25 |
| 27 Jul–2 Aug  | 13–19 Apr    | 26 Oct 24 | 11 May 25  | 29 Jun 25 |
| 3–9 Aug       | 20–26 Apr    | 2 Nov 24  | 18 May 25  | 6 Jul 25  |
| 10–16 Aug     | 27 Apr–3 May | 9 Nov 24  | 25 May 25  | 13 Jul 25 |
| 17–23 Aug     | 4–10 May     | 16 Nov 24 | 1 Jun 25   | 20 Jul 25 |
| 24–30 Aug     | 11–17 May    | 23 Nov 24 | 8 Jun 25   | 27 Jul 25 |
| 31 Aug–6 Sep  | 18–24 May    | 30 Nov 24 | 15 Jun 25  | 3 Aug 25  |
| 7–13 Sep      | 25–31 May    | 7 Dec 24  | 22 Jun 25  | 10 Aug 25 |
| 14–20 Sep     | 1–7 Jun      | 14 Dec 24 | 29 Jun 25  | 17 Aug 25 |
| 21–27 Sep     | 8–14 Jun     | 21 Dec 24 | 6 Jul 25   | 24 Aug 25



📌 For a full breakdown of payroll updates this year, check out our guide to 2025/26 payroll changes for UK employers. You can also refer to the official maternity pay tables from GOV.UK for the latest eligibility dates.

No more juggling multiple systems or drowning in spreadsheets.

Sign up for free