Statutory Sick Pay explained (2025/26)
If you're too ill to work, your employer must pay Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) provided you meet the earnings test. It's a flat weekly rate, doesn't start until the fourth day of sickness, and lasts up to 28 weeks. Here's how it works.
Rate, waiting days and limit
- Rate: £118.75 a week from 6 April 2025.
- Waiting days: the first 3 qualifying days are unpaid, SSP starts on day 4.
- Maximum: up to 28 weeks of SSP for any one period of sickness.
The daily rate is the weekly rate divided by your number of working ("qualifying") days that week, so it's the same total however your week is split.
Who qualifies
To get SSP you must be classed as an employee, have done some work, be off sick for at least four days in a row (including non-working days), and earn an average of at least £125 a week, the Lower Earnings Limit. You must also tell your employer within their deadline (or seven days if none is set).
When sickness joins up
Two periods of sickness of four or more days that are eight weeks or less apart are "linked" and treated as one. That matters because the three waiting days only apply once across linked periods, and the 28-week limit runs across them.
Contractual sick pay can be more generous
Three weeks off, 5-day week
An employee earning £400 a week works five days a week and is off sick for 21 continuous calendar days (15 working days). The first three working days are unpaid waiting days, leaving 12 paid days. The daily rate is £118.75 ÷ 5 = £23.75, so total SSP is about £285.00.
Common SSP mistakes
- Expecting pay from day one. The first three qualifying days are waiting days and are not paid.
- Assuming everyone qualifies. You must earn at least the Lower Earnings Limit (£125/week) on average.
- Forgetting linked periods. Sickness within eight weeks of a previous spell links, affecting waiting days and the 28-week cap.
- Not reporting in time. Tell your employer promptly and follow their sickness-reporting rules to avoid losing pay.