Statutory Sick Pay calculator
Statutory Sick Pay for 2026/27 is the lower of £123.25 a week or 80% of average weekly earnings, paid from the first day of sickness under gov.uk's Statutory Sick Pay rules reformed from 6 April 2026. This calculator estimates the total for a period of sickness from earnings and days off entered.
What is Statutory Sick Pay and how does it work?
Statutory Sick Pay is the legal minimum an employer must pay someone off sick. For 2026/27 the flat rate is £123.25 a week, as set out on gov.uk's Statutory Sick Pay page. Two changes took effect on 6 April 2026. First, the three unpaid waiting days were abolished, so SSP is paid from the first day of sickness rather than the fourth. Second, the Lower Earnings Limit that used to bar low earners was removed, and replaced with a cap: an employee gets the lower of the flat rate or 80% of average weekly earnings.
The daily amount is the weekly figure divided by the days normally worked, so someone on a five-day week gets a fifth of the weekly rate for each day off. SSP runs for up to 28 weeks in one spell of sickness. Average weekly earnings are measured across the eight weeks before the sickness began.
What would an example claim come to?
Take someone earning £400 a week who is off for 10 working days on a 5-day week. 80% of £400 is £320.00, which is more than the £123.25 flat rate, so their estimated weekly SSP is the flat £123.25. Split across 5 days that is £24.65 a day, so 10 days off comes to an estimated £246.50. A lower earner on £120 a week, for example, would instead get 80% of pay, £96.00 a week, because that is below the flat rate.
Common questions
How much is Statutory Sick Pay in 2026/27?
SSP is £123.25 a week for 2026/27. From 6 April 2026 lower earners are no longer excluded: you get the lower of £123.25 or 80% of your average weekly earnings, so nearly everyone qualifies for at least some SSP.
Do I still lose the first three days?
No. The old three unpaid "waiting days" were removed from April 2026, so SSP is now paid from the very first day you are off sick. Before the reform the first three qualifying days were unpaid.
Do low earners get Statutory Sick Pay now?
Yes. The Lower Earnings Limit that used to exclude people earning under about £125 a week has gone. Instead SSP is capped at 80% of your average weekly earnings, so a part-time or low-paid worker gets 80% of their pay up to the flat weekly rate.
How long can I get SSP?
SSP is payable for up to 28 weeks in one period of sickness. If you are still unable to work after that, you may be able to claim Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance instead.
How is my weekly SSP worked out?
Your average weekly earnings are worked out over the eight weeks before you went off sick. SSP is then the lower of £123.25 or 80% of that figure. The daily amount is the weekly rate split across the days you normally work.
What is Statutory Sick Pay and how does it work?
Statutory Sick Pay is the legal minimum an employer must pay someone off sick, £123.25 a week for 2026/27. Since 6 April 2026 it is paid from the first day of sickness, and low earners get the lower of the flat rate or 80% of their average weekly earnings, replacing the old Lower Earnings Limit that excluded them entirely.
What would an example claim come to?
On £400 average weekly earnings off for 10 days on a 5-day week, 80% of pay is above the flat rate, so the estimated weekly SSP is the flat £123.25, worth £24.65 a day. Total pay for the period comes to an estimated £246.50, before any employer top-up scheme is applied.
Sources & Rate Verification
Rates verified against official statutory guidance on 6 September 2026.