Calculate your UK Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) entitlement for the current tax year and preview the new rules coming into effect from April 2026.
Know your rights when you're off work sick and understand how much SSP you're entitled to receive from your employer.
Current SSP rules for 2025/26 tax year
Your average weekly earnings over the past 8 weeks
Total consecutive days of sickness (maximum 196 days / 28 weeks)
How many days per week you normally work (used to calculate daily rate)
Fill in your earnings and sick days to calculate your SSP entitlement
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is the minimum amount employers must pay to eligible employees who are off work due to illness. Here's what you need to know:
Important: SSP is the minimum your employer must pay. Many employers offer more generous sick pay schemes. Check your employment contract for details. SSP payments are subject to tax and National Insurance deductions.
Official Resources: For full eligibility criteria and official guidance, visit GOV.UK Statutory Sick Pay
Understanding your Statutory Sick Pay entitlement is important because it helps you:
The April 2026 changes will significantly improve support for low-income workers, ensuring that being sick doesn't mean zero income for anyone in employment.
For 2025/26, SSP is £118.75 per week. From April 2026, it will be 80% of your average weekly earnings or £123.25 per week, whichever is lower.
Currently (2025/26), you must earn at least £125/week on average and be off sick for at least 4 consecutive days. From April 2026, all employees will qualify regardless of earnings, and you'll be paid from day 1.
SSP can be paid for up to 28 weeks (196 days) for any single period of sickness. If you're still off sick after 28 weeks, you may be eligible for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Not under current rules (2025/26) - the first 3 days are "waiting days" and are not paid. However, from April 2026, waiting days will be abolished and you'll be paid from your first day of sickness.
SSP is paid for "qualifying days" - the days you would normally work. If you work part-time, you only receive SSP for the days you would have worked. The weekly rate is divided across your qualifying days.
Yes, Statutory Sick Pay is treated as earnings and is subject to Income Tax and National Insurance contributions in the usual way. Your employer will deduct these before paying you.
Under current rules (2025/26), everyone receives the same flat rate of £118.75/week regardless of their salary. From April 2026, the rate will be 80% of your earnings up to a maximum of £123.25/week, so higher earners will receive more (up to the cap).
Yes, if you're off sick and unable to work at both jobs, and you meet the eligibility criteria separately for each job, you can claim SSP from both employers.
If you're still unable to work after 28 weeks, SSP ends. You may then be eligible to claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) from the Department for Work and Pensions. Your employer should provide you with form SSP1 to help with your ESA claim.
Yes, if you're an employee (not self-employed) and meet the eligibility criteria, your employer is legally required to pay you at least SSP. Many employers offer more generous company sick pay schemes on top of the statutory minimum. Self-employed individuals do not qualify for SSP.