Pension
NHS Maternity Pay and Your Pension: A Complete Guide
How your NHS pension works during maternity leave, contributions on actual pay, tiers stepping down per phase, and what happens during the unpaid weeks.
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Pension
Salary sacrifice
NHS Maternity Pay and Salary Sacrifice: What You Need to Know
Why salary sacrifice lowers your SMP through the calculation window, and why it can't be deducted once SMP is being paid.
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Returning to work
Returning to Work After NHS Maternity Leave
What happens to your pay when you return, KIT days, using annual leave, phased returns, and whether you'll ever repay anything.
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2026/27 update
NHS Maternity Pay 2026/27: What's Changed This Year
The new £194.32 SMP rate, the £129 earnings threshold, Scotland's move to a 36-hour week, and what stayed the same.
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Comparison
How NHS Maternity Pay Compares to Private Sector Schemes
The honest comparison against the statutory minimum and enhanced private schemes, and why the pension makes the gap smaller than it looks.
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Your exact figures, all four phases, after tax, NI and pension, with the Phase 2 cap correctly enforced.
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