Maternity Leave Savings Calculator UK
Planning for a drop in income during maternity leave? Enter your expected maternity income, household costs and current savings to estimate how much you may want to save before your leave begins.
Plan your maternity leave savings
Compare your expected maternity income with your household costs to see how much you may want to put aside before leave begins.
Your maternity leave
Leave length is converted into approximate months for budgeting. Calendar months vary in length, so this is a simple average.
52 weeks ≈ 12 months of budgeting
Used to work out roughly how many months you have left to save.
Income during leave
Only include income you reasonably expect to receive.
You can use the gross result from our Statutory or Enhanced Maternity Pay Calculator, or enter your own expected figure.
For example rental income, a regular family contribution or other income. Government benefits are not included automatically.
Monthly expenses
Total monthly expenses£0.00
One-off costs before or during maternity leave
All optional — leave anything blank if it does not apply.
Total one-off costs£0.00
Savings
Money specifically available to support your maternity leave budget.
Privacy: figures entered into this calculator stay in your browser and are not sent to MoneyCalcs UK.
How much should I save before maternity leave?
There is no single figure. The amount depends on how much maternity income you expect, how long you plan to be off, your normal household spending, any contribution from a partner or other household income, and how much you have already put aside.
Two people taking the same 52 weeks of leave can need very different amounts, because employer maternity schemes, rent or mortgage costs and one-off baby spending vary widely.
How do I budget for maternity leave?
The basic approach used by this calculator is simple:
- estimate your expenses across the whole leave, plus any one-off costs
- subtract the income you expect during leave, including any contributions
- subtract savings you have already set aside
- what remains is your estimated savings gap
Spreading that gap over the months before leave starts gives an approximate monthly saving target.
How much income will I lose on maternity leave?
Maternity income rarely stays level. Statutory Maternity Pay usually starts at a higher rate for the first 6 weeks and then moves to the standard weekly amount, and it normally stops after 39 weeks.
Where an employer offers enhanced maternity pay, the drop often happens when that enhanced period ends. Model the detail with the UK Maternity Pay Calculator or the Enhanced Maternity Pay Calculator.
Should I save for the final 13 weeks of maternity leave?
Someone taking the full 52 weeks may have up to 13 weeks with no Statutory Maternity Pay, because statutory pay normally runs for a maximum of 39 weeks. Many people plan for those weeks in advance.
Employer schemes and individual circumstances vary, so check your own maternity policy before assuming the final weeks are unpaid.
When should I start saving for maternity leave?
Starting earlier spreads the same savings requirement over more months, so each monthly amount is smaller. Saving £6,000 over 12 months is £500 a month; over 6 months it is £1,000 a month.
This page gives general budgeting information rather than personalised financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Related calculators
Official sources
MoneyCalcs UK provides this calculator for general budgeting and planning purposes only. It does not provide financial advice or guarantee that a particular level of savings will be sufficient. Actual maternity income, household costs, benefits, tax and unexpected expenses may differ.