Statutory pay rates 2026/27
Statutory pay is the least your employer may pay you while you are off for a new child or because you are ill, if you meet the conditions for it. Most of it is a flat weekly rate, and it is taxed and has National Insurance taken off like any other pay.
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Statutory pay
Weekly rates 2026/27
| Payment | Weekly rate | How long | Changed on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statutory Maternity Pay | £194.32 | 39 weeks | 5 April 2026 |
| Statutory Paternity Pay | £194.32 | While the leave lasts | 6 April 2026 |
| Shared Parental Pay | £194.32 | While the leave lasts | 6 April 2026 |
| Statutory Sick Pay | £123.25 | Up to 28 weeks | 6 April 2026 |
These are what the law requires, not what an employer may pay at most: an employer’s own scheme can pay more. Where the share of your own earnings in the next table works out lower than the weekly rate, the lower figure is the one the law requires.
The earnings-related part
When a share of your own pay is used instead
| Payment | Share of average weekly earnings | When that applies |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory Maternity Pay | 90% | The first weeks of the leave; after that, whichever is lower, this or the flat rate |
| Statutory Paternity Pay | 90% | Whichever is lower, this or the flat rate |
| Shared Parental Pay | 90% | Whichever is lower, this or the flat rate |
| Statutory Sick Pay | 80% | Whichever is lower, this or the flat rate |
Average weekly earnings are worked out from what you were actually paid in a set period before the leave, so they are personal to you and are not a rate anyone can publish.
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Rules v2026.10 · checked against GOV.UK on 18 September 2026Two independent checks on every rate · 83 hand-verified cases, all passing, beside 19,925 generated · How we calculate · Changelog
Payroll-gradeSourcesHMRC, Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 — Statutory Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared Parental and Parental Bereavement PayThe Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026 (S.I. 2026 No. 148), articles 1(3), 8, 9 and 10Proposed benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027 (Department for Work and Pensions)