Free tool · the new rules from 6 April 2026
Statutory sick pay calculator
Rates checked 18 August 2026
SSP changed on 6 April 2026: it is now payable from the first day of sickness, with no waiting days and no earnings threshold. Most calculators online are still showing the old rules.
How it is worked out
The weekly rate is the lower of £123.25 or 80 per cent of the employee's average weekly earnings, worked out over the eight weeks before the sickness began. The weekly rate is divided by the days they normally work to give a daily rate, paid for each normal working day they are off, for up to 28 weeks. Company sick pay, where it exists, sits on top.
Why the April 2026 change matters more than the rate
For years the three waiting days meant a one or two day absence cost an employer nothing in SSP. That is gone. Every qualifying day of sickness is now paid from day one, which turns the short, frequent absence into a direct cost rather than an irritation. If your absence pattern is a lot of odd days rather than a few long spells, your sick pay bill has risen even though the weekly rate has not.
The removal of the lower earnings limit has a similar effect at the other end. Part-time staff who previously earned too little to qualify now do, paid at 80 per cent of their average weekly earnings where that is less than the flat rate.
What this does to return to work conversations
It makes them worth more, not less. A return to work conversation after every absence, however short, is the cheapest absence control there is, and it is now the only one that operates before the money goes out of the door. It also produces the dated record that makes any later formal step defensible.
Be careful with automatic triggers. Where absence is connected to a disability, a pregnancy or a serious health condition, it has to be considered separately and adjustments thought about before anything formal happens.
What sits on top of SSP
Contractual sick pay, where you offer it, sits above the statutory figure rather than alongside it, and SSP counts towards what you pay rather than being added to it. If your handbook promises company sick pay in vague terms, that vagueness is where arguments start, and it is worth being specific about the rate, the duration and whether it is discretionary.
Common questions
How long can someone claim statutory sick pay?
Up to 28 weeks in a single period of sickness. Linked periods, which are absences separated by eight weeks or less, count as one period for that limit.
Do I still have to wait three days before paying SSP?
No. Since 6 April 2026 there are no waiting days and SSP is payable from the first qualifying day of sickness.
Does a part-time worker qualify for SSP?
Yes. The lower earnings limit was removed in April 2026, so there is no minimum earnings threshold. Someone earning less than the flat rate is paid 80 per cent of their average weekly earnings instead.
Can I ask for a fit note for a short absence?
You can ask for reasonable evidence, but a fit note from a GP is normally only available from the eighth day. For shorter absences self-certification is the usual route.
Related calculators
Quick answers
Is SSP still three waiting days? No. From 6 April 2026 statutory sick pay runs from the first full day of sickness. The waiting days are gone.
How much is SSP in 2026/27? The lower of £123.25 a week or 80 per cent of the employee's average weekly earnings, paid for up to 28 weeks.
Who qualifies now? Everyone. The lower earnings limit was removed, so staff who earn below the old threshold now receive SSP at 80 per cent of their earnings.
Does your sickness policy still say three waiting days?
Most handbooks written before 2026 do, and a policy that contradicts the law reads badly if it is ever examined. Send us yours and we will tell you, free, what needs changing.
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