Police Maternity Pay: Weeks, Rates and Eligibility
Qualifying police officers get 18 weeks of full pay, then half pay plus Statutory Maternity Pay, then SMP alone, across a year of leave. It is far more generous than standard SMP. Here is the full breakdown and who qualifies.
How does police maternity pay work?
Police maternity pay for officers is set by the Police Regulations and is more generous than the statutory minimum. It runs across the standard 52 weeks of maternity leave in four phases, combining occupational maternity pay (OMP) with Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP).
The exact wording can vary slightly between forces, but the core entitlement for qualifying officers is the same nationally. Police staff, who are not warranted officers, are covered by separate police staff terms rather than the Police Regulations.
Who qualifies for full police maternity pay?
To receive the enhanced 18 weeks of full pay, you generally need 63 weeks of continuous service by the start of your expected week of childbirth. Continuous service transferred between police forces usually counts towards this.
Officers who do not meet the service requirement still receive Statutory Maternity Pay if they meet the standard SMP conditions, but not the full occupational top-up. Always check your own force's maternity policy, as it sets out the detail and any local variations.
The police maternity pay phases
For a qualifying officer, the year of leave breaks down like this:
| Weeks | What you receive |
|---|---|
| 1 to 18 | Full pay (occupational maternity pay, including pensionable allowances) |
| 19 to 26 | Half pay plus Statutory Maternity Pay |
| 27 to 39 | Statutory Maternity Pay only |
| 40 to 52 | Unpaid |
Statutory Maternity Pay is a government flat rate, around £187 a week in 2025/26 and uprated each April. You can check the current figure on gov.uk. During the half-pay phase, the half salary and SMP are paid together, so your income does not fall to the statutory rate alone until week 27.
How does it compare to standard SMP?
A private sector employee on statutory terms receives 90% of average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, then the flat rate for up to 33 weeks. There is no full-pay period.
A qualifying police officer, by contrast, gets 18 weeks at full salary before the statutory rate takes over. Over the first few months that is worth thousands of pounds more than the statutory minimum, which is one of the stronger family benefits in policing.
Across the full year, a qualifying officer typically receives several thousand pounds more than someone on statutory pay alone, concentrated in the first 18 weeks when the full-pay period applies. That front-loading helps most families in the months when costs are highest.
Do you have to pay police maternity pay back?
The enhanced occupational element can be repayable if you do not return to work for a set period, commonly at least one calendar month, after your leave ends. The half-pay and SMP elements are generally not repayable.
If you are unsure whether returning part-time or resigning after leave would trigger a repayment, check your force policy and speak to HR before you decide, because the rules on the repayable portion are specific.
Does maternity leave affect your pension?
While you are receiving pay, including the paid elements of maternity leave, pension contributions normally continue based on the pay you actually receive, and your pensionable service continues to build. Periods of unpaid leave are treated differently and may create a small gap unless you choose to pay contributions to cover them.
Because the detail depends on your scheme and your force, confirm the position with your pensions team. You can see how your pension builds over a career with the police pension calculator.
Keeping in touch and returning to work
You can work up to 10 keeping-in-touch days during maternity leave without ending your leave or losing maternity pay, by agreement with your force. These can help you stay current before a full return.
When you return, you may be able to request flexible or part-time working. Our take-home pay calculator has a part-time option, so you can see what reduced hours would mean for your monthly pay.
How does it work with shared parental leave?
Parents can share leave and pay through shared parental leave, which lets eligible officers split time between them after the first two weeks following birth. This can suit families where both parents want time at home, or where one returns to work sooner.
The occupational enhancements differ from maternity leave, so check your force's shared parental leave policy for the pay detail. It is a flexible option, but the rules are more involved than standard maternity leave.
What about paternity, adoption and surrogacy?
Officers also have entitlements to paternity leave, adoption leave and leave through surrogacy arrangements, each with its own occupational and statutory pay rules. Adoption leave in particular often mirrors the structure of maternity leave for the main adopter.
As with maternity, the enhanced elements usually depend on a service qualification, and the detail is set out in your force's family leave policies.
Returning to work after maternity leave
When you return, you can request flexible or part-time working, which many officers use to balance childcare. A move to part-time pro-rates your pay, your allowances and your pension accrual.
You keep your right to return to the same role after ordinary maternity leave, and to a similar role after additional maternity leave, which protects your position while you are away. The take-home pay calculator has a part-time option, so you can model different hours against the full-time week before you commit to a pattern.
What to do before you go on leave
Notify your force in good time, confirm your qualifying service for the enhanced pay, and ask HR for a written breakdown of what you will receive in each phase. Check how the paid and unpaid periods affect your pension, and plan for the drop in income from week 27 when only Statutory Maternity Pay applies.
Budgeting ahead for the half-pay and SMP-only phases makes the year far less stressful. If anything in your force policy is unclear, your local Police Federation representative can help you understand your entitlement.