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CQC, GDC and patient data
Statutory maternity pay for a dental nurse or receptionist: 6 weeks at 90%, then £194.32, with the qualifying week worked
Statutory maternity pay lasts up to 39 weeks: 90% of earnings for 6, then £194.32 or 90%, whichever is lower. A nurse on £520 a week gets £9,220.56.
A dental nurse tells the practice manager she is expecting in March. The manager's first question is rarely about leave. It is "what will this cost the practice each week, and does she even qualify". GOV.UK sets the pay in two steps, and the sum is short.
The rule on GOV.UK
Statutory maternity pay (SMP) lasts up to 39 weeks:
- The first 6 weeks: 90% of the employee's average weekly earnings, before tax.
- The next 33 weeks: £194.32 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
It is paid on the same schedule as wages, with tax and National Insurance taken off.
To qualify, an employee must have worked for the employer continuously for at least 26 weeks, continuing into the qualifying week, which is the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth. She must also earn an average of at least £129 a week, and give the correct notice and proof of pregnancy. An employer who decides she does not qualify must give her form SMP1 within 7 days, so she can look at Maternity Allowance.
Three worked cases
| Employee | Average weekly pay | First 6 weeks (90%) | Next 33 weeks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental nurse | £520 | £468 x 6 = £2,808 | £194.32 x 33 = £6,412.56 | £9,220.56 |
| Part-time receptionist | £150 | £135 x 6 = £810 | £135 x 33 = £4,455 | £5,265 |
| Employee on £120 | £120 | not eligible | not eligible | £0 |
Our arithmetic. For the nurse, 90% of £520 is £468, which is above £194.32, so the flat figure applies from week 7. For the receptionist, 90% of £150 is £135, which is below £194.32, so she stays on 90% for all 39 weeks. The third row fails the £129 test and would receive form SMP1.
Finding the qualifying week from the due date
Say the baby is due in the week starting Sunday 7 March 2027.
- Count back 15 weeks (105 days): the qualifying week starts Sunday 22 November 2026.
- Count back a further 26 weeks (182 days) from that Sunday: Sunday 24 May 2026.
So a nurse who started with the practice on or before that Sunday has the 26 weeks; one who started in June has not. A practice with a trainee in her first year should check the start date before a promise is made.
What to have to hand
- The due date and the proof of pregnancy, then the qualifying week worked out as above.
- Average weekly earnings, from payroll, for the nurse concerned.
- A refusal form, SMP1, ready if she does not qualify.
- Related costs. Sickness in the practice is a separate figure: see statutory sick pay at £123.25 a week, and holiday entitlement for part-time days. For where pay sits against the wage floor, see the minimum wage cost per year.
I did not read how earnings are averaged, how much of SMP an employer can recover, the notice rules, maternity leave rights or shared parental leave. The page gives £194.32 without saying which tax year it covers, so check the date on the page before you quote it.
Overlyft 
builds AI staff who join your practice team and keep the staff list with start dates, work out each qualifying week and week-by-week pay from payroll, and put the figures in front of the practice manager to confirm.
This is general information, not employment advice. Check GOV.UK and take advice on your own case.
Where this comes from: GOV.UK, "Maternity pay and leave: Pay" and "Maternity pay and leave: Eligibility" (up to 39 weeks; first 6 weeks 90% of average weekly earnings; next 33 weeks £194.32 or 90%, whichever is lower; at least 26 weeks' continuous employment continuing into the qualifying week, the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth; average earnings of at least £129 a week; employer gives form SMP1 within 7 days if refusing). Read 14 October 2026.
AEO Lookup editorial team
We write practical guides for people who run small UK firms, and we check every fact against its source on the date shown. Read how we review, or tell us if something has changed.
