Statutory Sick Pay calculator
See what you are owed in Statutory Sick Pay under the new April 2026 rules: paid from day one, and low earners get 80% of their pay up to the weekly rate.
How it works
Statutory Sick Pay is the legal minimum your employer must pay while you are off sick. For 2026/27 the flat rate is £123.25 a week. Two changes took effect on 6 April 2026. First, the three unpaid waiting days were abolished, so you are 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: you get the lower of the flat rate or 80% of your average weekly earnings.
The daily amount is the weekly figure divided by the days you normally work, 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. Your average weekly earnings are measured across the eight weeks before you fell ill.
Worked example
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 weekly SSP is the flat £123.25. Split across 5 days that is £24.65 a day, so 10 days off comes to £246.50. A lower earner on £120 a week, for example, would instead get 80% of their 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.