Statutory maternity pay

Read our guidance on the rules surrounding maternity pay and details of the allowances available.

Location: UK
Audience: All doctors
Updated: Friday 28 June 2024
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​Statutory maternity pay, limits and allowances (rates per week)

Rate Effective from
Statutory maternity pay £184.03 7 April 2024
Statutory maternity allowance £184.03 7 April 2024
Lower earnings limit £123 (the level of weekly earnings relevant for national insurance purposes) 7 April 2024
Statutory paternity pay £184.03 7 April 2024
Statutory adoption pay £184.03 7 April 2024
Statutory shared paternal pay £184.03 7 April 2024
Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay £184.03 7 April 2024

GP principals

As of 1 April 2015, payments to cover maternity, paternity and adoption leave stopped being discretionary and are now automatically covered.

Where a GMS practice:

  • engages a locum
  • employs a salaried GP under a fixed term contract
  • uses the services of a GP performer who is a party to the contract or who is already employed or engaged by the contractor

to cover a GP principal’s maternity, paternity or adoption leave they will be entitled to claim reimbursement for the cost of providing GP performer cover as per the rates detailed below. 

This reimbursement will cover both external locums and cover provided by salaried GPs on a fixed term contract or existing GPs within the practice who do not already work full time.

Reimbursement will be the lower of:

  • £1,143,06 (maximum payment per week in respect of the first two weeks, for which reimbursement is provided), and;
  • £1,751.52 (maximum payment per week in respect of any week thereafter where reimbursement is provided), or
  • the actual invoiced costs during that period

Rates effective from 1 April 2018.

The same should apply to PMS practices who will also need to reach agreement with the NHS Commissioning Board.

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