How much is statutory sick pay?

What is statutory sick pay (SSP)?

Statutory sick pay, or SSP, is the minimum you must legally be paid if you're off sick from work.

It is paid to employees of companies, who are off sick for at least four days in a row.

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How much statutory sick pay (SSP) will I get?

While you're on sick leave, the standard weekly rate for SSP from April 2024 is £116.75 a week. Sick pay is usually paid on your normal monthly or weekly payday.

As sick pay is likely to be far lower than your usual salary, you may want to consider an income protection insurance policy to cover your salary if you're unable to work because of illness or accident.

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Do I qualify for statutory sick pay (SSP)?

If you're an employee, you're usually entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP) in the following circumstances:

• you're sick for at least four days in a row. This includes weekends and days that you do not normally work
• your average weekly earnings are at least £123 a week before tax. The average earnings figure is calculated over the eight weeks before you became ill.

SSP is not means tested, so your savings and other income won't be taken into account when calculating the sick pay you'll receive.

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How long do you have to be off work for statutory sick pay?

Statutory sick pay isn't usually paid for the first three days you're off unless you've received SSP in the last eight weeks and are now eligible for it again.

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Does my employer have to pay me statutory sick pay?

Yes. And many employers pay out more than the statutory minimum. You'll find details of your company sick pay entitlement in your written statement of employment, which you should receive within two months of starting work. Agency workers qualify for SSP.

You're not eligible for SSP if you're receiving statutory maternity, paternity, adoption or additional paternity pay.

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Is SSP paid by the employer or the government?

Your employer pays you sick pay. If you do not qualify for SSP your employer must send you form SSP1 within seven days of you going off sick.

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Do I have to pay tax on statutory sick pay?

Usually yes. Statutory sick pay is treated as earned income, so you'll have to pay both income tax and Class 1 National Insurance contributions on it in the same way you would on your salary.

As statutory sick pay will probably be lower than your usual salary, though, you may find that your income is covered by the annual tax-free allowance (which is £12,570 in the 2024-25 tax year) so, in practice, you won't have as much - if any - tax to pay. Answer your tax questions in our guide to tax-free income and allowances.

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How long does SSP pay out for?

Statutory sick pay can be paid for up to 28 weeks. It's paid by your employer but, if your employer goes bust, HMRC will pay your SSP instead.

If your SSP has ended, or you don't qualify for it, your employer must fill in and give you form SSP1. This form explains why SSP has not been paid or why it is ending, as well as the last date of payment.

Form SSP1 is used to support a claim for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), the longer-term benefit for those unable to work.

The benefits system in the UK is changing, and eventually, income-related ESA will be replaced by Universal Credit. Find out more in our guide to What is Universal Credit?.

When do I have to tell my employer I'm sick?

For the first seven days of sickness, you will usually be asked by your employer to fill in a 'self-certificate'. You shouldn't be asked to provide medical evidence for these seven days .

If you're ill for more than a week, your employer can ask you to provide medical evidence from your doctor. If, for example, a doctor's 'fit note', which replaced the 'sick note' in April 2010, says you're not fit for work, this will usually be accepted as evidence that you are sick.

If your employer refuses to pay you SSP, ask it to explain why. If you can't reach an agreement, you can call HMRC's statutory payment dispute team on 0300 200 3500 for further advice.

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Can the self-employed claim statutory sick pay?

Statutory sick pay is only payable to those employed by a company. People who work for themselves aren't able to claim it.

Instead, you could claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), a state benefit that was introduced in 2008. It is payable to people who have an illness or disability who unable to work as a result.

If you have to claim ESA when you're self-employed, you might face a significant reduction in income. As a result, you should strongly consider taking out insurance to protect your income should you get ill. Find out more about how income protection and and critical illness insurance work.

There are three types of ESA - 'new style', income-related and contributory.

• New style ESA - you'll need to have been self-employed and paid National Insurance contributions in the past two to three years, and you have two or fewer children
• Contributory ESA - you'll need to have been self-employed and paid National Insurance contributions in the past two to three years, and you have three or more children
• Income-related ESA - this applies to you if you have three or more children but you haven't paid enough National Insurance contributions.

You'll need to go through a work assessment, after which you'll be placed into one of two groups - a work-related activity group, for those who may be able to work in the future, and a support group, for those whose illness will stop them from working.

In 2024-25, during your assessment period you'll get a weekly ESA payment of:

• £67.20 if you're under 25
• £84.80 if you're over 25.

After the assessment period ends, you'll get a weekly ESA payment of:

• up to £84.80 if you're in the work-related activity group
• up to £129.50 if you're in the support group.

You can find out more on gov.uk's guidance on ESA.

Do part-time workers get statutory sick pay?

Yes, if you work part-time, you're still entitled to SSP. Provided you meet the criteria of earning at least £123 a week, you should get the full amount of SSP, not a pro-rata amount based on your part-time work.

This also applies to casual staff, agency workers, temps and people on a fixed-term contract.

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