Statutory maternity pay (SMP) from 6 April 2026 is £194.32 per week for up to 33 weeks (after the initial 6-week period at 90% of earnings). The lower earnings limit to qualify is £129 per week. Statutory paternity pay is also £194.32 per week from 6 April 2026. Paternity leave became a day-one right under the Employment Rights Act 2025 — but the 26-week qualifying service requirement for statutory paternity pay is unchanged; leave and pay have separate qualifying conditions. These are the statutory minimums — your contract or employer may provide more. Updated June 2026.
Source: Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, s.164–171 (as amended by Employment Rights Act 2025); acas.org.uk/maternity-paternity-and-adoption.
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The Employment Rights Act 2025 (Royal Assent 18 December 2025) made two changes affecting family pay rights from 6 April 2026:
Paternity leave becomes a day-one right. Employees can take statutory paternity leave from their first day of employment. The previous requirement of 26 weeks' qualifying service for the leave right (not the pay) no longer applies.
Unpaid parental leave becomes a day-one right. The right to take up to 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave per child (before the child's 18th birthday) also became a day-one right. The one-year qualifying service requirement has been removed.
The statutory pay amounts — SMP, SPP, and ShPP — are set separately by the Social Security (Contributions and Benefits) Act 1992 and uprated each April by the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order. The £194.32 rate from 6 April 2026 is the result of the 2026 uprating, not a direct ERA 2025 change. For the full ERA 2025 picture, see the Employment Rights Act 2025 hub and the detailed page on ERA 2025 changes in force from April 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much is statutory maternity pay in 2026?+
From 6 April 2026, statutory maternity pay (SMP) is paid for up to 39 weeks: the first 6 weeks at 90% of average weekly earnings, then up to 33 weeks at the lower of £194.32 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings. You need at least 26 weeks' service by the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth and average weekly earnings of at least £129 (the lower earnings limit from 6 April 2026). Source: SSCBA 1992, s.166; gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/pay.
How much is statutory paternity pay in 2026?+
Statutory paternity pay (SPP) from 6 April 2026 is the lower of £194.32 per week or 90% of your average weekly earnings. From 6 April 2026, employees may take paternity leave from day one of employment, but the 26-week qualifying service requirement for statutory paternity pay remains. Source: Employment Rights Act 2025, ss.16–17; gov.uk/paternity-pay-leave.
What is the statutory maternity pay lower earnings limit in 2026?+
To qualify for SMP, your average weekly earnings must be at least £129 per week (the lower earnings limit from 6 April 2026). If you earn below this level, you do not qualify for SMP but may be able to claim Maternity Allowance instead. Source: SSCBA 1992, s.164; gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility.
Did ERA 2025 change paternity leave rights?+
Yes. From 6 April 2026, the Employment Rights Act 2025 made paternity leave a day-one right — employees can take up to two weeks of paternity leave from their first day of employment. Previously, 26 weeks' qualifying service was required for the leave itself. The 26-week qualifying period for statutory paternity pay (SPP) is unchanged. Source: Employment Rights Act 2025, ss.16–17; acas.org.uk/paternity-rights-leave-and-pay.
Is there a statutory pay right for adoption?+
Yes. Eligible employees taking adoption leave receive statutory adoption pay (SAP) at the same rates as SMP: 90% of average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, then the lower of £194.32 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings for up to 33 further weeks (from 6 April 2026). The same 26-week qualifying service and £129 lower earnings limit apply. A partner of the person taking adoption leave may take statutory paternity leave and pay. Source: Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, s.171ZL–171ZN; gov.uk/adoption-pay-leave; acas.org.uk/maternity-paternity-and-adoption.
What is unpaid parental leave and did ERA 2025 change it?+
Unpaid parental leave allows eligible employees to take up to 18 weeks of unpaid leave per child (up to the child's 18th birthday) to care for that child. From 6 April 2026, the Employment Rights Act 2025 made unpaid parental leave a day-one right — the previous one-year qualifying service requirement has been removed. The 18-week limit per child and the four-week annual cap (unless the employer agrees otherwise) are unchanged. Source: Employment Rights Act 1996, s.76–80 (as amended by Employment Rights Act 2025); acas.org.uk/parental-leave.