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Updated for 2026/27

Sick Pay Calculator: How Much SSP Will I Get?

Off work sick and wondering what you will actually be paid?

This free sick pay calculator works out your Statutory Sick Pay for the 2026/27 tax year, including the April 2026 changes that mean SSP is now paid from your first day off, with no minimum earnings requirement.

Enter your dates and it will also tell you the exact date your self-certification runs out and a doctor’s fit note becomes necessary.

Checked by the GMC-registered doctors at Health Works, part of the CQC-registered Blackheath Clinic.

Sick pay calculator

Updated for the 2026/27 rules – paid from day one, no minimum earnings.

How much is statutory sick pay in 2026/27?

For the 2026/27 tax year, Statutory Sick Pay is the lower of GBP 123.25 a week or 80% of your average weekly earnings. For most people that means the flat rate of GBP 123.25 – about GBP 24.65 a day if you work a five-day week.

SSP is not paid as a lump sum for calendar days. It is paid for your qualifying days – the days you would normally have worked – and the daily amount is the weekly rate divided by the number of days you usually work. So someone working five days a week gets GBP 24.65 for each day off, while someone working three days a week gets GBP 41.08 for each of those days. Both end up with the same weekly total.

It is paid by your employer through payroll, and it is taxed like normal wages.

What changed in April 2026

Three changes came into force on 6 April 2026 under the Employment Rights Act 2025, and they made SSP considerably more generous:

  • the three unpaid “waiting days” have been abolished. Previously you got nothing for the first three days of any absence. – Paid from day one
  • the Lower Earnings Limit (GBP 125 a week in 2025/26) has been removed. Around 1.3 million lower-paid and part-time workers who previously got nothing now qualify. – No minimum earnings
  • if 80% of your average weekly pay is less than GBP 123.25, you get the 80% figure instead of nothing. – 80% protection for lower earners

If your absence began before 6 April 2026, the old rules apply to it – the calculator will flag this.

Am I entitled to sick pay?

Since April 2026, almost every employee is. You qualify if you are classed as an employee and have been off sick – there is no longer an earnings threshold to meet, and no waiting period to sit through. Agency workers and zero-hours workers are covered too.

The main things that can affect entitlement: you need to tell your employer within their deadline or within 7 days at the latest; you cannot get SSP for more than 28 weeks in one period of sickness; and separate absences within 8 weeks of each other are treated as linked, which counts towards that 28-week total. If you are self-employed, SSP does not apply – there is no employer to pay it.

Your employer might pay more

SSP is a legal minimum, not a maximum. Many employers run their own occupational or contractual sick pay scheme – often full pay for a set number of weeks, then half pay, then dropping to SSP. Check your contract or staff handbook before assuming the figure above is what will land in your account. Where an employer scheme exists, it usually includes SSP rather than being paid on top.

When do I need a sick note?

Sick pay and sick notes are separate things, but they connect at day 8. For the first 7 calendar days of any absence you self-certify – your own written statement, no doctor involved, and your employer cannot demand a note. From day 8, your employer can require a fit note from a doctor before continuing to pay you.

That is why the calculator shows your day-8 date. If you are still unwell when it arrives, you can get a fit note from your NHS GP, or the same day from Health Works after a 5-minute video consultation with a GMC-registered doctor. 

Get a fit note online
Free self-certification letter

A note for employers

If you are working out SSP as an employer rather than an employee, the calculation is identical, the weekly rate divided by qualifying days, multiplied by the qualifying days missed. Remember that since April 2026 you must assess every employee for SSP regardless of earnings, pay from the first day of absence, and issue form SSP1 to anyone who does not qualify.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much sick pay will I get?
The lower of GBP 123.25 a week or 80% of your average weekly earnings, for each week you are off sick. It is paid for the days you would normally have worked, so a five-day-a-week worker receives about GBP 24.65 per day off.
How much is SSP a week?
GBP 123.25 a week for the 2026/27 tax year, unless 80% of your average weekly pay comes to less than that, in which case you get the 80% figure.
Do I get sick pay from the first day off?
Yes. Since 6 April 2026 SSP is paid from your first day of sickness. The old rule that the first three days were unpaid no longer applies.
Am I entitled to sick pay if I earn under GBP 125 a week?
Yes. The Lower Earnings Limit was removed in April 2026. If you earn below the old threshold you now receive 80% of your average weekly earnings instead of nothing.
How is sick pay worked out if I work part-time?
The weekly rate is divided by the number of days you normally work, then paid for each of those days you are off. Someone working three days a week gets GBP 41.08 per day rather than GBP 24.65, so the weekly total is the same.
Do weekends count towards sick pay?
Not for payment, unless you normally work weekends – SSP is only paid for your qualifying days. Weekends do count towards the 7 calendar days of self-certification, though.
How long can I get sick pay for?
Up to 28 weeks for one period of sickness. Absences separated by 8 weeks or less are linked and count towards the same 28-week limit.
Is sick pay taxed?
Yes. SSP is paid through payroll and is subject to income tax and National Insurance in the same way as your normal wages.
Does my employer have to pay more than SSP?
Only if your contract says so. Many employers run their own sick pay scheme paying full or half pay for a period; check your contract or staff handbook. They cannot pay you less than the statutory amount.
Do I need a sick note to get sick pay?
Not for the first 7 calendar days – you self-certify. From day 8 your employer can require a fit note from a doctor before continuing to pay you.
Can I get sick pay if I am self-employed?
No. SSP is paid by an employer, so it does not apply to self-employed people. Income protection insurance or benefits support are the usual alternatives.
What if I am off sick more than once?
Each new period of sickness gets its own self-certification week. For sick pay, absences within 8 weeks of each other are treated as linked, which affects how much of your 28-week allowance remains.
Sources and further reading: GOV.UK – Statutory Sick Pay · Acas – Statutory sick pay · LITRG – Statutory sick pay. Figures are for the 2026/27 tax year. This calculator gives an estimate, not a payslip, and is general information rather than financial or legal advice.
Last reviewed August 2026 by Dr Eoghan Macsweeney, GMC 4776354.
Still off sick?

What you need to give your employer, and when.

Weekly SSP£123.25
Per day (5-day week)£24.65
Days 1-7
Self-certify. No doctor’s note needed – and free.
Day 8 onwards
Your employer can require a doctor’s fit note.
Create my free self-cert letter Get a same-day fit note

Fit notes issued by GMC-registered doctors at The Blackheath Clinic, registered with the Care Quality Commission.