Sick pay in the UK in 2026: paid from day one, up to £123.25 a week

Being ill in Britain got cheaper: since 6 April 2026 sick pay starts on day one rather than day four, and every employee qualifies regardless of earnings. Here is how much you get, who is covered, when you need a doctor's note and what to do if your employer refuses to pay.

How much is sick pay in 2026?

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is the legal minimum an employer must pay an employee who is off sick. In the 2026/27 tax year that is 80% of your average weekly earnings or £123.25 a week, whichever is lower, for up to 28 weeks.

It is paid the same way as your wages — on your normal payday, with tax and National Insurance deducted. There is no separate benefit to apply for and no form to send to the government.

What changed on 6 April 2026?

Two things, both in the employee's favour.

Waiting days are gone. The first three days of sickness used to be unpaid, with SSP starting only on day four. Sick pay now runs from the first day.

The earnings threshold is gone. SSP used to be unavailable to anyone earning below the National Insurance lower earnings limit — often exactly the part-time and zero-hours workers who needed it most. It is now available to all eligible employees regardless of earnings. That is why the "80% of average weekly earnings" formula exists: so sick pay cannot exceed normal pay.

How is the 80% worked out?

Your employer takes your average weekly earnings over the eight weeks before the sickness and pays 80% of that, capped at £123.25 a week.

A rough marker: earn about £154 a week or more and you get the flat £123.25. Earn less and you get 80% of your own figure.

Who qualifies for SSP?

Anyone classed as an employee who has done some work for that employer. You must have been ill for at least one full working day and tell your employer by whatever deadline they set — or within seven days if they have not set one.

Agency workers may also be entitled. A probation period, part-time hours or a zero-hours contract do not in themselves remove the right.

When do you need a fit note?

If you are off for more than seven days in a row, including non-working days. The first week is covered by your own statement — GOV.UK provides form SC2, though many employers accept their own version. After that you need a fit note from a GP or certain other NHS professionals.

When is SSP not paid?

The main cases: you have already had the maximum 28 weeks; you are getting Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance; the absence is pregnancy-related in the four weeks before the due date; or you received Employment and Support Allowance within 12 weeks of starting the job.

There is one further limit few people know about. Periods of sickness eight weeks or less apart count as one linked period, and once such a chain runs for more than three years, entitlement ends.

What if you do not qualify?

Your employer must give you form SSP1, and the deadlines are strict: within seven days of your first day off if you never qualified; within seven days if SSP ends unexpectedly while you are still sick; and on or before the start of the 23rd week if SSP is expected to run out before the sickness does.

SSP1 is what you use to claim Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance — it proves your employer's sick pay is not available to you.

What about the self-employed?

There is no SSP for the self-employed: there is no employer to pay it. What is left is Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance if your National Insurance record supports it, and private income protection if you hold a policy.

Can an employer pay more?

Yes, and many do. It is called occupational or contractual sick pay and the terms sit in your employment contract or staff handbook — full pay for the first few weeks, for example. An employer can pay more than the statutory minimum but never less. The first thing to do when you fall ill is open the contract and find the sick pay clause.

Your employer refuses to pay. What then?

Start with the employer: you are entitled to ask why SSP has not been paid, or why the amount is what it is. If the answer does not stand up, the dispute goes to HMRC — its Statutory Payment Disputes Team handles them. Citizens Advice gives free advice on employment rights.

What to do before you ever need it

Find the sick pay clause in your contract and the rule on how to report absence. Keep a written record of every day you report sick. And remember: being dismissed for using a legal right to sick pay is grounds for an employment tribunal claim, not normal practice.