Silyxa

Updated for 2026/27

SSP calculator

See your sick pay, and what reaches your bank while you are off.

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Your result

Your sick pay

Working days off sick
5
Usual pay for those days
£576.92
SSP
£123.25
Pay lost before tax
−£453.67
Income Tax you save
£90.60
National Insurance you save
£36.29
Take-home lost
£326.78

SSP: £123.25 a week for 5 working days a week, so £24.65 a day.

Your SSP rate

Average weekly earnings
£576.92
80% of that
£461.54
Standard weekly rate
£123.25
Your weekly rate, the lower
£123.25
Daily rate
£24.65
SSP weeks left this spell
28

A full week off is paid at the weekly rate. Part weeks use the daily rate.

MonthIncome TaxTake-home
Month 1£199.60£1,766.86

Normal take-home is £2,093.51 a month. PAYE works on your pay so far in the tax year, so a month of low pay can bring tax back. This assumes your time off starts in April and runs on without a break. Add your first day off sick to see your own months.

Your sick pay stages.
WhenPayDetail
Weeks 1 to 28SSP only£123.25 a week
From week 29SSP endsYou may be able to claim Universal Credit or ESA

Add your first day off sick above to see the dates.

A normal month

Pay
£2,500.00
Income Tax
−£290.33
National Insurance
−£116.16
Take-home
£2,093.51

Your first month off sick

Basic pay for days worked
£1,923.08
SSP
£123.25
Income Tax
−£199.60
National Insurance
−£79.87
Take-home
£1,766.86

SSP is paid through payroll like your wages, and Income Tax and National Insurance come off it.

  • Good to know Since 6 April 2026, SSP is paid from your first full day off sick, and there is no minimum earnings limit.
  • Note Tell your employer you are off sick by their deadline, or within 7 days if they have not set one. If you are off for more than 7 days in a row, including non-working days, they can ask for a fit note.
  • Note Periods of sickness 8 weeks or less apart are linked and count as one. If you have already had SSP in a linked period, enter the weeks used so the 28-week limit is right.
  • Note You can't get SSP while you're getting Statutory Maternity Pay. Agency and zero-hours workers can qualify if they're classed as employees.
  • Note This takes your average weekly earnings as your usual pay, £576.92 a week. If your pay varies, your employer uses the average of the 8 weeks before you went off sick. Lost pay is your yearly pay ÷ 52 ÷ 5 days for each day off, and your employer may work it out a little differently. Tax is worked out over the whole year, as PAYE does, with a standard tax code and 2026/27 rates.

Uses 2026/27 rates, checked 7 November 2026. Your figures stay in your browser. Tested against the official rates and published worked examples. See how this is calculated.

How much is statutory sick pay?

Statutory Sick Pay, or SSP, is £123.25 a week in 2026/27, or 80% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower. Your employer pays it for up to 28 weeks, from your first full day off sick. Since 6 April 2026 there are no unpaid waiting days and no minimum earnings to qualify.

On £30,000 a year, a week off sick pays £123.25 of SSP instead of £576.92 of normal pay. That month, your take-home is about £1,766.86 instead of £2,093.51.

Example payslip with 5 days off sick on a £30,000 salary: basic salary £2,500.00, unpaid sick days minus £576.92, Statutory Sick Pay £123.25, Income Tax £199.60, National Insurance £79.87 and net pay £1,766.86, against £2,093.51 in a normal month.
An example, not a real payslip. Employers word these lines differently.

How much is SSP a day?

SSP is paid for the days you would normally have worked, called qualifying days. The daily rate is the weekly rate divided by the number of days you work a week, so it depends on your working pattern, not your hours.

Daily SSP at the standard £123.25 weekly rate, 2026/27.
Days you work a weekSSP a day
1 day£123.25
2 days£61.63
3 days£41.08
4 days£30.81
5 days£24.65
6 days£20.54
7 days£17.61

So for a 3 day week, SSP is £41.08 a day. A full week off is paid at the weekly rate, £123.25, whatever your pattern.

Is SSP 80% of your salary?

Only if you earn less than £154.06 a week, about £8,011 a year. Below that, 80% of your average weekly earnings is less than £123.25, so that's what you get. Earn £120 a week, for example, and SSP is £96.00 a week. Above it, everyone gets the same £123.25, which is far less than 80% of a typical salary.

What a week off sick does to your take-home

You lose your normal pay for the days off and get SSP instead. But Income Tax and National Insurance fall as well, so your take-home drops by less than the pay you lose.

One week off, 5 days a week, SSP only, England, Wales or Northern Ireland, no pension or student loan.
SalaryPay lost before taxTake-home lost
£20,000£261.37£188.26
£30,000£453.67£326.78
£40,000£645.98£465.10
£60,000£1,030.60£584.81

Company sick pay and SSP

Many employers pay more than SSP, often full pay for a few weeks and then half pay. This is called company or contractual sick pay, and your contract or staff handbook sets it out. It usually includes your SSP rather than adding to it, so you get whichever is higher.

With 4 weeks of full pay and 4 weeks of half pay on £30,000, 8 weeks off pays £3,461.54 in sick pay, and your take-home over that time falls by £830.94. Choose Company sick pay above and enter your own weeks.

How long does SSP last?

Up to 28 weeks for one spell of sickness. Spells 8 weeks or less apart are linked and count as one, so SSP you've already had in a linked spell counts towards the 28 weeks. Enter it in SSP weeks already used.

If your SSP is going to run out while you're still ill, your employer must send you form SSP1 by the start of week 23. You can use it to claim Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance.

Sick pay questions

Is statutory sick pay taxable?

Yes. SSP is paid through payroll like your wages, and Income Tax and National Insurance come off it. This calculator shows what's left.

Does statutory sick pay include weekends?

Only if you normally work weekends. SSP is paid for your qualifying days, which are usually the days you normally work.

Is statutory sick pay pro rata for part-time workers?

The weekly rate isn't cut for working part-time. It's spread over the days you work, so a part-time worker off for a full week gets the same £123.25, unless 80% of their earnings is lower.

When does statutory sick pay start?

From your first full day off sick, since 6 April 2026. Before then, the first 3 days were unpaid.

Do I need a fit note?

Not for the first 7 days. If you're off for more than 7 days in a row, including days you don't normally work, your employer can ask for one. A GP, hospital doctor, nurse, pharmacist, physiotherapist or occupational therapist can give you one.

Can I get SSP on a zero-hours contract?

Yes, if you're classed as an employee and have done some work for your employer. Agency workers can also qualify.

How do I calculate SSP?

Take the lower of £123.25 and 80% of your average weekly earnings. Divide it by the days you work a week to get the daily rate, then multiply by your days off. Full weeks are paid at the weekly rate.

What if my employer won't pay SSP?

Ask them for the reason. If that doesn't sort it out, contact HMRC's Statutory Payment Disputes Team.

Sources

Checked on 7 November 2026 against the 2026/27 tax year.