Statutory Sick Pay calculator 2026-27
How much Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) should you get? Since 6 April 2026 SSP is paid from the first day you're off sick, there's no minimum earnings level, and it's £123.25 a week or 80% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. Enter your earnings and the days you're off to see your weekly and daily rate, the total due and how much of the 28-week limit is left. It follows GOV.UK's rules and rounding for 2026-27 (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027). New to SSP? Read the full SSP guide.
Usually 8 if you're paid weekly. Monthly paid? Pick "Monthly pay" instead.
Only count days you would normally have worked.
Days you normally work
Earlier sickness 8 weeks or less before this one counts towards the 28 weeks.
SSP daily rates 2026-27 at £123.25 a week
| Qualifying days in the week | Unrounded daily rate |
|---|---|
| 7 | £17.6071 |
| 6 | £20.5416 |
| 5 | £24.65 |
| 4 | £30.8125 |
| 3 | £41.0833 |
| 2 | £61.625 |
| 1 | £123.25 |
GOV.UK's unrounded daily rates for the standard weekly rate. If 80% of your average weekly earnings is lower than £123.25 (average weekly earnings of £154.06 or less), your own daily rate is lower: the calculator works it out.
How SSP is worked out from April 2026
- Who gets it: employees who have done some work for their employer and are off sick for at least one full working day. Since 6 April 2026 there's no minimum earnings level, and the 3 unpaid waiting days have gone: SSP starts from the first full day off. Agency workers may qualify too.
- Weekly rate: £123.25 or 80% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
- Average weekly earnings come from the relevant period: it ends on your last normal payday before your first full day of sickness and starts the day after an earlier normal payday at least 8 weeks before that. Weekly paid: total ÷ number of weeks (usually 8). Monthly paid: total ÷ months × 12 ÷ 52. Earnings aren't rounded. New starters with less than 8 weeks' pay use what they've been paid so far.
- Qualifying days are the days you normally work. SSP is only paid for those days, and a day you started work then went home sick doesn't count.
- Daily rate: weekly rate ÷ qualifying days in the week. A full week off pays the weekly rate; part weeks pay the daily rate for each day off. GOV.UK's daily tables use an unrounded rate (to 4 decimal places) and come out at the next whole penny, which is how this calculator rounds each Sunday-to-Saturday week.
- Linked periods: sickness of at least a day that starts 8 weeks (56 days) or less after an earlier one is linked to it. The SSP rate stays the one set at the start of the first period, and all linked SSP counts towards the 28-week maximum (28 × your qualifying days per week). Linked periods lasting more than 3 years in a row end eligibility.
- Exceptions: you can't get SSP if you've already had the maximum 28 weeks or you're getting Statutory Maternity Pay, among other cases listed on GOV.UK.
- Notice and proof: tell your employer by their deadline (or within 7 days if they haven't set one). A fit note is only needed after more than 7 days off in a row, including non-working days.
Read the full SSP guide for who qualifies, linked spells, fit notes, form SSP1, company sick pay and sickness that started before April 2026.
This calculator assumes the same qualifying days every week and one job. If you have more than one job you may get SSP from each employer. It follows the GOV.UK rules for absences in 2026-27. In Northern Ireland, check Statutory Sick Pay on nidirect in case the rules differ.
Sources: Statutory Sick Pay (GOV.UK), Statutory Sick Pay: employer guide, Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027, Work out your employee's Statutory Sick Pay manually, Sickness absences that start before and end on or after 6 April 2026, Ask your employer for Statutory Sick Pay. Checked 18 October 2026. This page gives the statutory minimum only and isn't legal advice. For a dispute, talk to your employer first, then contact HMRC; Acas can also help.
Worked examples
Full-time, earning over the flat rate
Sam earns £500 a week and works Monday to Friday (5 qualifying days). 80% of £500 is £400.00, which is more than £123.25, so Sam's weekly SSP is £123.25. The daily rate is £123.25 ÷ 5 = £24.65. Off sick Monday to Wednesday (3 qualifying days), Sam gets 3 × £24.65 = £73.95 SSP, paid from the first day.
Part-time, paid 80% of earnings
Priya works 3 days a week and her average weekly earnings over the last 8 weeks were £120. 80% of that is £96.00, lower than £123.25, so her weekly SSP is £96.00 and her daily rate is £32.00. Off for 7 of her working days (2 full weeks and 1 more day) she gets 2 × £96.00 + £32.00 = £224.00.
Long-term sickness and the 28-week limit
Alex earns £400 a week over 5 qualifying days, so the weekly SSP is £123.25. The 28-week limit is 28 × 5 = 140 qualifying days. Alex was already paid 100 days of SSP in a linked period earlier in the year, so only 40 days (8 weeks) are left. Off sick for another 60 qualifying days, Alex gets 8 weeks × £123.25 = £986.00 and nothing for the last 20 days. The employer must send form SSP1 so Alex can look at Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance.
Figures from the calculator on this page. Each assumes no company sick pay on top.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Statutory Sick Pay in 2026-27?
From 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is £123.25 a week or 80% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. It's paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks, in the same way as your wages, and Income Tax and National Insurance are deducted from it.
Is SSP paid from the first day of sickness now?
Yes. Since 6 April 2026, SSP is payable from the first full day of sickness absence, so the old 3 unpaid waiting days no longer apply. You need to be off sick for at least one full working day, and SSP is only paid for your qualifying days, which are the days you normally work. A day doesn't count as a sick day if you worked for a minute or more before going home sick.
Do I need to earn a minimum amount to get SSP?
No. From 6 April 2026, SSP is available to all eligible employees regardless of their earnings, so the Lower Earnings Limit no longer applies. If your average weekly earnings are £154.06 or less, 80% of them is lower than £123.25, so that is what you get.
How are my average weekly earnings worked out?
Your employer adds up the earnings paid in the relevant period, which ends with your last normal payday before your first full day of sickness and covers at least 8 weeks. It includes all earnings that Class 1 National Insurance is due on (or would be, if you earned enough). Weekly paid employees divide the total by the number of weeks, usually 8. Monthly paid employees divide by the number of months, multiply by 12 and divide by 52. If you've had less than 8 weeks' pay, the earnings you've had so far are used.
How is the daily rate of SSP worked out?
Divide the weekly SSP rate by the number of qualifying days in the week, then multiply by the number of qualifying days you're off. GOV.UK publishes unrounded daily rates for the £123.25 rate, for example £24.65 for 5 days a week, £20.5416 for 6 days and £17.6071 for 7 days. Its tables of amounts to pay come out at the next whole penny, and this calculator rounds the same way, week by week (an SSP week runs Sunday to Saturday).
What are linked periods of sickness?
If two periods of sickness of at least one full day are 8 weeks (56 days) or less apart, they're linked and treated as one. Your SSP rate is set at the start of the first period and stays the same, even if your pay changes, and SSP paid in linked periods counts towards the 28-week maximum. You're no longer eligible for SSP if a continuous series of linked periods lasts more than 3 years.
What happens when SSP runs out after 28 weeks?
Your employer must send you form SSP1, either within 7 days of your SSP ending if it ends unexpectedly while you're still sick, or by the beginning of the 23rd week if it's expected to end before your sickness does. You can use it to support a claim for Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance.
When do I need a fit note?
Only if you're off work for more than 7 days in a row, counting non-working days. For the first 7 days you can self-certify, and form SC2 can be used for that if your employer wants it in writing. Fit notes can come from a GP or hospital doctor, registered nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist or physiotherapist. Your employer can't withhold SSP because a fit note arrives late.
Can my employer pay more than SSP?
Yes. SSP is the legal minimum. Many employers have a company sick pay scheme (also called contractual or occupational sick pay) that pays more, so check your employment contract. Your employer can't pay you less than SSP if you're eligible.
Other pay calculators
Back at work and checking a payslip? The take-home pay calculator shows your pay after Income Tax, National Insurance, student loan and pension. Statutory annual leave keeps building up while you're off sick: work it out with the holiday entitlement calculator.
Budget for a lower-paid month
A spell on SSP can mean a much smaller payslip. The Household Bills & Budget Planner (£7, Excel and Google Sheets) lists every bill, however often it's paid, turns it into one monthly figure and shows what's left, so you can see where to cut back.
Get the bills & budget planner (£7)Prefer free? Try the bills monthly cost calculator.