What happens to your pension while you're on maternity leave?

The short answer: Yes. On paid maternity leave, your employer keeps paying in based on your normal salary, while your payment falls with your pay. If your leave is unpaid, they still pay in for the first 26 weeks. Child Benefit gets you National Insurance credits for your State Pension. In 2026/27 you can get tax relief on up to £3,600.

Does my employer have to keep paying into my pension on maternity leave?

Yes, for all of your paid leave, and for the first 26 weeks if your leave is unpaid. GOV.UK says that during paid leave, you and your employer both carry on paying in. The two payments are worked out on different numbers:

• Your payment is based on what you're actually paid that month, so it drops when your pay drops.

• Your employer's payment is based on the salary you would have had if you weren't on leave. MoneyHelper adds that this includes any pay rises while you're away.

What about unpaid leave? If you're not being paid, your employer still has to pay in for the first 26 weeks. That's the stretch called Ordinary Maternity Leave. After that, they only carry on if your contract says so.

Most people get maternity pay for up to 39 weeks out of 52 weeks of leave. So the weeks that usually need checking are 40 to 52. MoneyHelper says payments in those weeks usually stop, unless your scheme rules or contract say they carry on. Many employers also offer extra maternity pay on top of the statutory amount, or for longer, so your maternity policy is worth a read.

Capital at risk. The value of your pension can go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you pay in.

Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future.

How much goes into my pension while I'm on maternity pay?

It depends on your pay in each phase and on what your scheme takes a percentage of. Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) comes in two steps. GOV.UK sets them out:

• Weeks 1 to 6: 90% of your average weekly earnings, before tax.

• Weeks 7 to 39: £194.32 a week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that's lower.

Then there's the "5% of what?" question. Some schemes use your whole salary. Many auto-enrolment schemes use a slice called qualifying earnings. In 2026/27 that's earnings between £6,240 and £50,270 a year. SMP counts as earnings for this. The legal minimum is 8% in total, with at least 3% from your employer, and your scheme may pay more.

So ask payroll two things: what percentage applies, and what pay it's applied to. Our guide to how maternity pay works has more on the SMP side.

Example: a made-up maternity leave, phase by phase

Here's an invented example. Say your salary is £3,000 a month. You and your employer each pay 5% of your whole salary into a defined contribution pension. You take 52 weeks off and get SMP only.

These figures assume 5% on your whole salary, a monthly view of weekly pay, and no extra contract terms. The £840 is roughly £194.32 a week over a month. Your payslip may look different, depending on how your scheme handles tax relief.

The good news is in the employer column. It stays at £150 right through your paid leave, even when your own pay falls by more than two thirds. The gap to watch is the last 13 weeks.

What if I'm on Maternity Allowance or salary sacrifice?

Maternity Allowance. If you don't qualify for SMP, you may get Maternity Allowance for up to 39 weeks. It's paid by the government, not your employer. MoneyHelper says your employer's payments usually carry on for the first 26 weeks, then usually stop unless your contract says otherwise. So on Maternity Allowance, weeks 27 to 39 need checking too. Not sure which you'll get? Start with SMP or Maternity Allowance.

Salary sacrifice. Here you've swapped part of your salary for an employer payment, so the whole amount counts as your employer's money. MoneyHelper says the full amount should carry on during paid leave, as long as it doesn't take your pay below the National Minimum Wage. HMRC adds that SMP itself can't be sacrificed, and salary sacrifice can lower the earnings used to work out your SMP.

Does maternity leave affect my State Pension?

Not if your National Insurance (NI) record stays full, and for most parents a few simple steps keep it that way. Your new State Pension is based on your qualifying years. The full rate is £241.30 a week. You usually need 35 qualifying years for the full amount and 10 to get any at all.

Here's how maternity leave fits in:

1. On Maternity Allowance: you get Class 1 NI credits automatically.

2. On SMP: if you don't earn enough in the year to make it a qualifying year, you can apply to HMRC for Class 1 credits.

3. Registered for Child Benefit: you get Class 3 credits automatically while your child is under 12, even if you don't receive the money.

That last one is the big one. MoneyHelper calls it the easiest way to protect your State Pension. If your or your partner's income is over £60,000, you can claim and opt out of the payments to avoid the High Income Child Benefit Charge. You still get the NI credits. Our guide to Child Benefit over £60,000 walks through it.

You can check your NI record for gaps. GOV.UK suggests checking whether you can get credits before paying voluntary contributions.

Can I get tax relief on pension payments if I'm not earning?

Yes, up to a limit. You can get tax relief on payments worth up to 100% of your earnings. The HMRC Pensions Tax Manual confirms that SMP paid by your employer counts as earnings for this.

If your earnings are low or nil, there's a floor called the basic amount. You can get relief on up to £3,600 a year, gross. That means you pay in up to £2,880 and your provider claims 20% on top. HMRC says relief above your earnings, up to £3,600, only works in a scheme that uses relief at source.

How you get relief matters most when your income dips below the £12,570 Personal Allowance:

This compares the two systems only and assumes the standard Personal Allowance. GOV.UK says you won't get relief through a net pay scheme if you don't pay tax. But the government has brought in a top-up for low earners in net pay schemes, from 2024/25. HMRC contacts eligible people after the tax year ends. If you pay Income Tax in Scotland, the rates are different, and so is the extra relief above the basic rate. Ask your employer which system your scheme uses. Our simple guide to pension tax relief has more.

Example: topping up with no earnings

Here's a made-up example. Say you have no earnings in a tax year and pay £2,880 into a personal pension. Your provider claims 20% relief, which is £720. So £3,600 goes into your pot. If a partner's pay is unaffected by your leave, MoneyHelper notes they could use some of their income to pay into your pension.

These are ways the rules work, not amounts to pay. Whether topping up suits you depends on your budget and plans. Nobody expects you to find spare cash while learning to function on three hours' sleep.

What happens to a defined benefit pension on maternity leave?

It usually keeps building while you're paid. A defined contribution pension is an invested pot. A defined benefit pension is a promise based on your salary and years in the scheme. MoneyHelper says paid leave usually still builds up benefits, but unpaid leave usually doesn't. So comparing percentages won't tell you much here. Ask your scheme what your leave means for your pension.

What can I do now?

Most of these take a few minutes, and they're easier to do before the baby arrives:

1. Read your maternity policy. Look for what your employer pays into your pension in each phase, especially weeks 27 to 52.

2. Ask payroll for the workings. Ask which pay they'll use and what percentage applies.

3. Keep a payslip from before your leave, with your pension details.

4. Check what arrives. MoneyHelper says mistakes are common, such as payments based on reduced pay or stopping too early.

5. Register for Child Benefit as soon as you can, even if you opt out of the payments.

6. Note any gap from unpaid weeks, and come back to it when life settles. A dip in contributions isn't a bill.

If something looks wrong, ask your employer to put it right first. If that doesn't work, MoneyHelper points to the HMRC Statutory Payment Dispute Team, your trade union, or free employment law help from Acas (England, Scotland and Wales) or the Labour Relations Agency (Northern Ireland). Our maternity leave planner can help you map out your leave and pay.

Still got questions?

How much is Statutory Maternity Pay? GOV.UK says it's 90% of your average weekly earnings for 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week or 90% of your earnings (whichever is lower) for 33 weeks.

Do I have to make up missed pension payments later? No. You can choose to pay in extra later, but you don't have to. It helps to check what you can afford and the tax relief limits first.

Does Shared Parental Leave work the same way? GOV.UK's rule that both payments carry on during paid leave covers other paid parental leave too. Our guide to Shared Parental Leave covers pay and pensions for both parents.

What if I go back part-time? Your payments usually fall with your pay, so your pension builds up more slowly. MoneyHelper suggests looking at whether you can raise your rate, and whether your employer will match it.

Can I take money out of my pension during maternity leave? Usually not. The earliest age is normally 55, rising to 57 from 6 April 2028, with some exceptions such as ill health.

What if my employer stops paying in during the first 26 weeks? If your leave is unpaid, they still have to pay in for those weeks. Ask them to put it right, then get help if they don't.