Statutory Sick Pay: what is the SSP rate?

Your employees are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they take time off due to illness. But how much is SSP? Find out more about the SSP rate and your responsibilities when staff are off sick.

What is Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)?

An employee may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay if they’re ill and can’t work. The introduction of the Employment Rights Act has changed rules on eligibility – as of 6 April 2026, employees are eligible for SSP from their first day of illness.

They previously needed to be off work for four or more days in a row (including non-working days), but this rule has been abolished. This was known as three ‘waiting days’

The rules now mean you need to pay SSP from day one of an employee’s absence.

A day doesn’t count as a sick day if they’ve worked for more than a minute before they’ve gone home ill.

It’s important to note that employees are entitled to statutory annual leave while they’re off sick and they can take holiday while they’re on sick leave (no matter how long they’re off). Meanwhile, you can’t force employees to take annual leave if they’re eligible for sick leave.

Employer sick pay schemes

The SSP rate is the legal minimum employers can pay staff when they’re sick. However, you might have your own sick pay scheme, which lets you offer more than the standard SSP rate.

If you have one, you should write it into your employees’ contracts and staff handbook (schemes like this are known as ‘contractual’ or ‘occupational’ sick pay).

You should also record accurate details of your employee’s absence and their sick pay payments.

How much is Statutory Sick Pay?

You use the weekly SSP rate to calculate how much SSP to pay your employees.

SSP rate in the UK

As of 6 April 2026, the SSP rate is £123.25 a week. It increased from £118.75 a week. 

The SSP rate is for up to 28 weeks of sick leave.

You can use a daily SSP rate if your employee isn’t off work for the whole week.

As of 6 April 2026, the way you calculate SSP for lower earners has changed. You’ll pay it at the lower of 80% of their average weekly earnings or the standard statutory weekly rate.

You can see the daily SSP rate on the UK government website.

SSP calculator

Use this Statutory Sick Pay calculator to work out how much to pay your employees who are off sick.

Employers pay SSP in the same way they pay monthly wages – on the normal payday, including tax and National Insurance deductions.

When does an employee qualify for Statutory Sick Pay?

To qualify for SSP your employee should:

• have an employment contract
• have worked under the contract
• give you notice of their illness
• give you proof of their illness after they’ve had seven days off

The rule that employees needed to have been ill for three or more days in a row before qualifying for SSP has now been removed following the introduction of the Employment Rights Act. 

The previous lower earnings limit has also been removed, meaning part-time and lower-paid workers can qualify, as of 6 April 2026. 

Casual and zero-hour employees can get SSP if they meet the government’s eligibility criteria.

As an employer, you can set a limit in which employees have to tell you they’re sick. If you don’t have one, it’s automatically set at seven days.

If the employee is late telling you they’re sick without good reason, you don’t have to pay SSP. For example if your limit is six days and the employee gives notice of their sickness after nine days, then you won’t need to pay them SSP for the three days over the limit.

Proof of illness: what is a fit note?

Employers can ask for a fit note, commonly known as a sick note, if their employee is off work for more than seven days in a row (including non-working days).

A fit note must be issued by a healthcare professional, such as a:

• GP or hospital doctor
• pharmacist
• registered nurse
• physiotherapist
• occupational therapist

Self certification form or SC2 form

Your employees can also use something called an SC2 form to ask you for Statutory Sick Pay. This can be used to self-certify an absence if you want your employee to let you know about their sickness in writing. However, your employee doesn’t legally need to use this form. 

The form will ask the employee for: 

• their National Insurance number
• their phone number
• details of their illness and when they were unwell
• the date of the last working day before their sickness began
• their clock or payroll number

What are the exceptions for receiving SSP?

There are some exceptions that could mean your employee isn’t eligible for sick pay. These include employees who’ve already had the maximum 28 weeks of SSP and employees who are getting Statutory Maternity Pay (there are different rules in this situation).

Other reasons employees may not be eligible for sick pay include:

• if they’re off work for a pregnancy-related illness in the four weeks before the week (Sunday to Saturday) that their baby is due
• if they received Employment and Support Allowance within 12 weeks of starting or returning to work for you
• if they’re working outside the EU and you’re not required to pay their National Insurance contributions
• if they were on strike or in custody on the first day of sickness

But if a series of linked periods lasts more than three years, employees aren’t eligible for SSP.

Read more about SSP eligibility and the exceptions on the government website.

Statutory Sick Pay form SSP1

If your employee isn’t eligible for SSP or their SSP is ending, they might be able to claim other other benefits like Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). You need to send these employees form SSP1 so they can claim these benefits.

For employees who aren’t entitled to SSP, you have to send them SSP1 within seven days of them taking time off sick.

If an employee is receiving SSP but their situation changes and they no longer qualify, you have to send them SSP1 within seven days of their sick pay ending. If their SSP is going to end before their illness does, you have to send them SSP1 on or before the beginning of the 23rd week of sick pay.

Useful guides for the self-employed

• How to create an onboarding process for your business
• What is the national minimum wage? A guide for employers
• A guide to overtime pay for employers
• A guide to compassionate leave for employers