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Statutory Sick Pay Calculator (UK)

Work out SSP under the 2026 rules, where it pays from day one and the earnings test is gone.

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Maximum 28 weeks
Statutory Sick Pay
 
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What is the SSP rate for 2026?

The lower of 80% of the employee's average weekly earnings or £123.25 a week, payable for up to 28 weeks.

Where Compono fits

Sick pay is the cost you can see. The pattern behind it is the one that matters, and it is usually about workload, managers and whether people feel supported enough to come back. Compono Engage reads what actually drives your teams, so absence gets treated as a signal rather than a payroll line. Pair this with the Bradford Factor calculator to see how disruptive an absence pattern really is.

See how it works

How it's calculated

From 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay is the lower of 80% of the employee's average weekly earnings or £123.25 a week, payable for up to 28 weeks. The Employment Rights Act 2025 removed the three waiting days, so SSP is payable from the first full day of sickness absence, and removed the Lower Earnings Limit test, so every employee qualifies regardless of earnings. Both changes commenced 6 April 2026. Lower earners are the ones this changes most: someone on low weekly earnings now receives 80% of those earnings rather than nothing. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

New to the term? Read the plain-English definition of Statutory Sick Pay in the HR Glossary.

Common questions

Are there still three waiting days for SSP?

No. The Employment Rights Act 2025 removed waiting days from 6 April 2026, so SSP is payable from the first full day of sickness absence.

Do employees have to earn a minimum amount to get SSP?

No, not since 6 April 2026. The Lower Earnings Limit test was removed, so all employees qualify regardless of weekly earnings. Lower earners now receive 80% of their average weekly earnings.

How long can SSP be paid?

Up to 28 weeks for any period of sickness. Beyond that, employees may move to other support. Contractual sick pay can be more generous than SSP and often is.

This page is general information, not legal advice. We check figures annually and update them on a best-efforts basis, but employment rules change and we cannot promise everything here is current or complete. Before you act on it, confirm the detail with GOV.UK or your own adviser. Last reviewed July 2026.