🤒 Sick Pay Calculator (SSP)

New 2026/27 rules — paid from day one at the lower of £123.25/week or 80% of your earnings

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Average over the 8 weeks before your sickness began

Statutory Sick Pay — 2026/27 Rules

Waiting DaysNone — paid from day 1 ✓
Your Weekly SSP Rate—
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⚠️ From 6 April 2026 SSP is the LOWER of £123.25/week or 80% of your average weekly earnings, paid from the first day of sickness for up to 28 weeks. The old 3 waiting days and minimum earnings test are abolished — every employee qualifies. SSP is taxable through payroll.

The April 2026 SSP Reforms — What Changed

The Employment Rights Act 2025 rewrote sick pay from 6 April 2026. Three big changes: SSP is now paid from day one (the 3 unpaid waiting days are abolished), the lower earnings limit is removed (all employees qualify regardless of pay), and the rate is now the lower of £123.25/week or 80% of average weekly earnings — so low earners receive a proportionate amount instead of nothing.

How the 80% Rule Works

Earn £600/week on average and 80% is £480 — well above £123.25, so you get the full flat rate. Earn £120/week and 80% is £96 — you receive £96/week, where before April 2026 you would have received nothing at all. Around 1.3 million low-paid workers gained sick pay eligibility from this change.

The Rules That Stayed

SSP still runs for a maximum of 28 weeks per period, is paid by your employer through payroll (taxable, NI-able), and requires you to notify your employer within their deadline. Self-certify for the first 7 calendar days; a fit note is needed beyond that. Linked absences within 8 weeks of each other still count as one period against the 28-week maximum.

Enforcement

The new Fair Work Agency (launched April 2026) can investigate SSP underpayment proactively and act against non-compliant employers — sick pay compliance is no longer complaint-driven only.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is SSP in 2026/27?

The lower of 123.25 GBP per week or 80% of your average weekly earnings, paid from the first day of sickness for up to 28 weeks.

Are there still waiting days for SSP?

No. From 6 April 2026 the three unpaid waiting days are abolished — SSP is paid from day one of sickness absence.

Do I need to earn a minimum amount to get SSP?

No. The lower earnings limit was removed in April 2026. Every employee qualifies; lower earners receive 80% of their average weekly earnings.