Statutory Sick Pay, in plain English
Statutory Sick Pay, usually called SSP, is the legal minimum your employer must pay you when you are too ill to work. It is paid through your normal payroll, on your normal payday, with tax and National Insurance deducted, just like wages. This site explains the current rules in plain English: who qualifies, how much you get, what proof you need, and what to do when SSP runs out or is refused.
SSP in one paragraph
From 6 April 2026 you can get SSP of £123.25 a week or 80% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for up to 28 weeks. You qualify if you are classed as an employee, you have done some work for your employer, and you have been sick for at least one full working day. There is no minimum earnings threshold and no unpaid waiting days any more: both were abolished on 6 April 2026. For the first 7 days of sickness you can self-certify; after that your employer can ask for a fit note. If you do not qualify, or when your SSP ends, your employer must give you form SSP1 so you can ask about Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance instead.
The numbers that matter most, from 6 April 2026
| Item | Current position |
|---|---|
| Weekly rate | £123.25, or 80% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower |
| Daily rate, 5 qualifying days a week (full rate) | £24.65 |
| Maximum duration | 28 weeks |
| Maximum at the full weekly rate | £3,451.00 over 28 weeks |
| Minimum sickness to qualify | At least one full working day |
| Unpaid waiting days | None — abolished 6 April 2026 |
| Minimum earnings threshold | None — the old Lower Earnings Limit was abolished 6 April 2026 |
| Self-certification | First 7 days, including non-working days |
| Fit note | Required if you are off for more than 7 days in a row |
The 80% rule is what makes the current system different from the old flat-rate-only system. If your average weekly earnings are about £154.06 a week or more, 80% of your earnings is at least £123.25, so you get the full flat rate. Below that, you get 80% of what you normally earn. A shop assistant in Leeds on £100 a week, for example, gets £80 a week. A warehouse worker in Manchester on £240 a week gets the full £123.25 a week.
How this site is organised
Start with who qualifies for the full eligibility test, then how much you get for the daily-rate table and worked examples. The day-one change explains exactly what changed on 6 April 2026 and what the old rules were, so older advice you find online does not confuse you. Fit notes and proof covers self-certification and who can issue a fit note. How SSP is paid explains payroll, tax, average weekly earnings, and holding more than one job. Agency and zero-hours workers deals with the contracts people ask about most. Linked periods and the 28-week limit covers repeat absences. SSP vs company sick pay keeps the legal minimum apart from your contract. When SSP ends covers form SSP1, ESA, Universal Credit, and disputes. FAQ and myths answers the questions people ask most.
Three misunderstandings, cleared up at the start
SSP is not a benefit you claim from the government. Your employer pays it, and you get it by telling your employer you are sick, not by applying to the Department for Work and Pensions. SSP is not full pay. It is a legal floor: £123.25 a week at most. Many employment contracts pay more through a company sick pay scheme, which is why checking your contract matters as much as knowing the SSP rate. SSP does not require a diagnosis. What matters is that you are unfit for work, that you told your employer in time, and that you provide a fit note when one is required — not the name of your illness.
One warning that applies to the whole site: SSP rates are uprated most Aprils, and the April 2026 reforms changed the structure of the scheme, not just the rate. Treat every figure here as the position from 6 April 2026 and check GOV.UK for the current rate before you rely on it for a decision.