Calculate SSP using the rules from 6 April 2026: £123.25 a week or 80% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, paid from the first full day off sick. Get the daily rate and total in seconds.
From 6 April 2026, SSP is £123.25 a week or 80% of the employee's average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. It is paid from the first full day off sick (there are no waiting days and no minimum earnings) for up to 28 weeks. Divide the weekly rate by the employee's qualifying days to get the daily rate.
Worked example: £185 a week, 5 qualifying days, 3 days off sick
SSP due for that week: £73.95 (the worked example GOV.UK gives).
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SSP rules trip up even experienced payroll teams. Here are the key facts every UK employer needs to get right.
From 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay is £123.25 a week or 80% of the employee's average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. Average weekly earnings are usually worked out over the 8 weeks before the sickness started. To qualify, employees must have an employment contract, have done some work under it, and have been sick for at least one full working day. There is no longer a minimum earnings test: the Lower Earnings Limit stopped applying to SSP on 6 April 2026, so low earners now get SSP at 80% of their earnings.
Until 5 April 2026, the first three 'qualifying days' of any period of incapacity for work were unpaid 'waiting days'. From 6 April 2026, SSP is payable from the first full day of sickness absence. A 'qualifying day' is still a day the employee would normally be expected to work, so someone who works Monday to Friday and is sick all week is paid SSP for all five days. A day only counts if the employee did no work at all: working a minute or more before going home sick means that day is not a sick day for SSP.
Employers can set their own notification requirements for sickness absence — typically requiring notification on the first day of absence by a specific time and method. For absences of up to 7 calendar days, employees can self-certify (using an SC2 form or the employer's equivalent). Beyond 7 calendar days, a fit note issued by a GP or other registered healthcare professional is required. Employers cannot insist on a fit note for shorter absences. Failure to notify in the required way does not remove the right to SSP, but it may affect when SSP liability begins.
Sickness absence that is related to pregnancy during the last 4 weeks before the expected week of childbirth (the 'disqualifying period') automatically triggers the start of maternity leave — and SSP is replaced by Statutory Maternity Pay from that point. For pregnancy-related sickness before the disqualifying period, SSP is payable in the usual way. Pregnancy-related absence should never trigger disciplinary proceedings or count in absence triggers — doing so is sex discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.
SSP is payable for a maximum of 28 weeks in any period of incapacity. Once exhausted, the employer's SSP liability ends. If SSP is expected to run out before the sickness does, the employer must send form SSP1 on or before the beginning of the 23rd week (or within 7 days if SSP ends unexpectedly), so the employee can claim New Style ESA from the DWP. Linked periods of sickness (within 8 weeks of each other) are treated as one continuous period for SSP purposes — so repeated short absences can exhaust the 28 weeks more quickly than a single long absence if they occur in a pattern.
Employers can offer contractual sick pay that is more generous than SSP — for example, full pay for the first 4 weeks, then half pay for 8 weeks, then SSP only. Contractual sick pay absorbs the SSP entitlement: an employee cannot receive both in excess of their contractual entitlement. Where contractual sick pay is exhausted before 28 weeks are up, the employer must still pay SSP for the remainder of the 28-week period. Contracts should specify exactly how the two interact to avoid misunderstandings.
Agency workers are entitled to SSP, paid by the agency (as their employer) rather than the end-client business. Zero-hours workers are entitled to SSP too: since 6 April 2026 there is no earnings threshold, so low or irregular earnings no longer rule anyone out. Their earnings still set the amount, because SSP is the lower of £123.25 a week and 80% of average weekly earnings, and the variable nature of their hours means those average earnings must be calculated over the 8-week reference period.
HMRC's PAYE rules say to keep payroll records, including payments to employees and their leave and sickness absences, for 3 years from the end of the tax year they relate to. Sensible SSP records include: dates of sickness and qualifying days; amount of SSP paid each week; any SSP1 forms issued; and notification and fit note records. Since April 2014, employers can no longer reclaim SSP from HMRC (the Percentage Threshold Scheme was abolished). Statutory parental payments are different: employers can usually reclaim 92% of them, or 109% with Small Employers' Relief (£45,000 or less in Class 1 National Insurance).
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“TimeTally has been excellent for our business. The app is simple to use, reliable, and makes managing holidays, absences, and staff records straightforward. The system has saved us a significant amount of administration time and gives both managers and employees clear visibility of leave balances and requests. Highly recommended for any business looking for an easy-to-use workforce management solution.”
Jordan Ingoe, CLI ManchesterEverything you need to know about SSP in the UK. For related topics, try our Bradford Factor calculator or holiday entitlement calculator.
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Last checked against GOV.UK: 2 October 2026
This calculator applies the rules for sickness that starts on or after 6 April 2026. For an absence that started before then, GOV.UK has transition rules; use its guidance linked above.
SSP is easier to get right when the absence data behind it is already accurate.
Log every absence spell as it happens so SSP calculations start from real data.
Learn moreSickness, holiday and every other leave type tracked in one system.
Learn moreRecord unpaid absence separately so it never distorts pay or entitlement.
Learn moreHandle bereavement and emergency leave with a clear, consistent record.
Learn moreSick days are logged in the same place as holiday, so every absence spell has real dates behind it when you work out SSP for payroll.
