Finance calculators

Sick Pay Calculator

Updated Sep 11, 2026 By Infinity Calculator
Rate Formulas Sources
Eligibility Check
Does the employer pay Class 1 National Insurance contributions for this employee?
Was the employee sick for at least one full working day?
Did the employee report their sickness within the required time limit?
Employers can set their own reporting limit. Where none is set, the statutory fallback is 7 days.
Does the employee earn at least £125.00 per week on average before tax?
£125.00 per week is the Lower Earnings Limit required to qualify for SSP (applies to sick days before 6 April 2026).
Employee Earnings
Enter the gross pay for the frequency selected next (numbers only).
Used to convert the salary above into average weekly earnings.
Qualifying days = the days the employee normally works. The daily SSP rate is the weekly rate divided by this number.
Working day pattern (used for the day-by-day breakdown)
Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) — updates as you type
£615.38
Above the £125.00 Lower Earnings Limit.
Sick Leave Period(s)
Up to 5 sick periods. Periods separated by 56 days or fewer are treated as one linked absence.
Statutory Sick Pay Calculator — calculation date
Total SSP Owed
£0.00
Applicable SSP Rate Used
—
Average Weekly Earnings
—
Total Qualifying Days Paid
—
Waiting Days Deducted
—
Sick Period(s) Summary
Period / segment Start End Calendar days Working days Waiting days Paid days SSP subtotal
Rate Comparison — Statutory Rate vs 80% of AWE
Rate period Statutory SSP rate 80% of AWE Lower figure applied Daily rate used
28-Week Entitlement Tracker
Day-by-Day Qualifying Days
SSP by Segment
Absence Day Breakdown
Step-by-Step Solution

Introduction

This Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) calculator works out how much sick pay an employee should get. Just enter the pay, the working days each week, and the sick leave dates. The tool does the math and shows you the total.

SSP is the least amount an employer must pay a worker who is off sick.1 In the UK, the rate was £118.75 a week in the 2025 to 2026 tax year.6 From 6 April 2026, SSP is £123.25 a week or 80% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.5 The calculator picks the lower figure for you.

The calculator also handles the tricky rules. It checks if the worker qualifies, counts waiting days for older claims, links sick periods that are 56 days apart or less, and tracks the 28-week limit. You get a clear day-by-day view, charts, and a step-by-step answer you can print or share with payroll.

How to use our Sick Pay Calculator

Answer four quick eligibility questions, enter the employee's pay and their sick leave dates, and the calculator shows the total Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) owed, the daily and weekly SSP rate used, paid qualifying days, waiting days, and a full step-by-step working out.

Employer pays Class 1 National Insurance: Pick "Yes" if the employer pays Class 1 NI contributions for this worker. If you pick "No", no SSP is due.

Sick for at least one full working day: Pick "Yes" if the employee missed a whole contracted working day. SSP only covers full working days.

Reported sickness in time: Pick "Yes" if the employee told the employer within the deadline. If the employer has no rule, the limit is 7 days.3

Earns at least £125.00 per week: Pick "Yes" if average weekly pay before tax meets the £125.00 Lower Earnings Limit.6 This only matters for sick days before 6 April 2026.5

Gross salary before tax: Type the employee's pay before tax and deductions. Use numbers only, with no pound sign. If you only know the take-home figure, our Net to Gross Calculator can help you find it.

Pay frequency: Choose how often that pay is paid: weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly, monthly, or annual. The tool uses this to work out average weekly earnings (AWE).

Contracted working days per week: Enter how many days a week the employee normally works, from 1 to 7. The daily SSP rate is the weekly rate split over these days.8

Working day pattern: Tick the exact days of the week the employee works. This builds the day-by-day chart and marks which days get paid.

Sick leave start date: Pick the first day of the sick absence.

Sick leave end date: Pick the last day of the sick absence. Before 6 April 2026, the absence must be at least 4 days in a row to count.10

Add Another Sick Period: Use this to add up to 5 sick periods. Periods with a gap of 56 days or less are linked and counted as one absence.8

Press Calculate to see your results, Start Over to clear the form, or Print Results to save a copy for your payroll records.

What Is Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)?

Statutory Sick Pay is the money your employer must pay you when you are too ill to work. It is the legal minimum in the UK. Some jobs offer better sick pay in the contract, but SSP is the floor no employer can go below.1

Who Can Get SSP

To get SSP you must:

  • Be classed as an employee and have done some work for your employer3
  • Be off sick for at least one full working day3
  • Tell your employer in time (7 days if your workplace has no other rule)3
  • Earn at least £125 a week on average before tax.6 This rule only applies to sick days before 6 April 2026.5

SSP Rates and the 6 April 2026 Change

The weekly SSP rate was £118.75 in the 2025 to 2026 tax year.6 From 6 April 2026 it rises to £123.25 a week.7 New rules also start on that date:

  • No waiting days. Before 6 April 2026, SSP was not paid for the first 3 qualifying days of an absence.9 From that date, SSP is paid from the first full day of sickness absence.5
  • No earnings limit. SSP is available to all eligible employees, whatever they earn.5
  • 80% cap. You get the weekly rate or 80% of your average weekly pay, whichever is lower.2 So if you earn less than about £154 a week, you get 80% of your pay instead.

If your sick leave starts before 6 April 2026 and ends after it, the days are split and each part uses its own rules. If you were already getting SSP before 6 April 2026 and were still off sick on that date, you keep the flat £123.25 rate instead of 80% of your pay until you return to work.5

Qualifying Days and the Daily Rate

SSP is only paid for qualifying days, the days you normally work.4 Your daily rate is the weekly rate divided by how many days a week you are contracted to work.8 Someone who works 5 days a week gets one fifth of the weekly rate for each sick day. Someone who works 3 days a week gets a third, so their daily amount is higher, but they have fewer paid days.

How Long SSP Lasts

You can get SSP for up to 28 weeks.2 After that it stops, even if you are still sick. If a continuous series of linked sick periods lasts more than 3 years, you can no longer get SSP.3 Statutory annual leave keeps building up while you are off sick, however long you are off.11

Linked Sick Periods

If you go off sick again within 56 days of an earlier absence, the two are treated as one long absence.8 This matters for two reasons: the 28-week limit is shared, and you do not serve waiting days twice.

The 4-Day Rule

For sick days before 6 April 2026, an absence must last at least 4 days in a row (including weekends and days off) before SSP can start.10 This is called a Period of Incapacity for Work, or PIW. From 6 April 2026, a PIW is a period of sickness lasting at least one full day.8

Average Weekly Earnings (AWE)

AWE is your average weekly pay before tax, worked out from the pay you received in a set period before you went off sick.8 For monthly pay, your employer divides the pay by the number of months, multiplies by 12 and divides by 52.8 Yearly pay is divided by 52. AWE decides if you qualify for days before 6 April 2026 and, from 6 April 2026, whether the 80% cap applies to you.

Good to Know

  • SSP is taxable and has National Insurance taken off, just like normal pay.2 The PAYE Calculator shows what lands in your bank.
  • Your employer pays it in your usual pay run on your usual payday.2
  • You must give your employer a fit note if you are off work for more than 7 days in a row, including non-working days.3
  • If you cannot get SSP, you may be able to claim Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance instead.3

Formulas used

Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) from pay frequency 8
\text{AWE} = \begin{cases} P & \text{weekly} \\ P \div 2 & \text{fortnightly} \\ P \div 4 & \text{four-weekly} \\ P \times 12 \div 52 & \text{monthly} \\ P \div 52 & \text{annual} \end{cases}
Weekly SSP rate applied (days on/after 6 April 2026) 7
R_{\text{week}} = \min\left(R_{\text{stat}},\; 80\% \times \text{AWE}\right)
Weekly SSP rate applied (days before 6 April 2026) 6
R_{\text{week}} = R_{\text{stat}} = 118.75
Daily SSP rate 8
R_{\text{day}} = \frac{R_{\text{week}}}{D_{\text{work}}}
Paid qualifying days
N_{\text{paid}} = N_{\text{working}} - N_{\text{waiting}} - N_{\text{capped}}
Total SSP owed (sum over rate segments)
\text{SSP}_{\text{total}} = \sum_{s} \frac{R_{\text{week},s}}{D_{\text{work}}} \times N_{\text{paid},s}
28-week entitlement: maximum paid days and weeks used 2
N_{\max} = 28 \times D_{\text{work}}, \qquad W_{\text{used}} = \frac{N_{\text{paid}}}{D_{\text{work}}}
Gap between sick periods (linked if 56 days or fewer)
G = \frac{S_{\text{next}} - E_{\text{prev}}}{86400000} - 1 \;\le\; 56

Frequently asked questions

What are waiting days and why do three days show as unpaid?

Before 6 April 2026, SSP was not paid for the first 3 qualifying days of an absence.9 These are called waiting days. The calculator marks them orange in the day-by-day chart. From 6 April 2026, waiting days no longer apply.5

What happens if the sick leave starts before 6 April 2026 and ends after it?

The calculator splits the absence into two parts. Days before 6 April 2026 use the £118.75 weekly rate and the waiting day rules.6 Days from 6 April 2026 use £123.25 or 80% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, with no waiting days.5 If the employee was already getting SSP before 6 April 2026 and was still off sick on that date, the flat £123.25 rate is kept instead of 80% of earnings until they return to work.5 The period table shows both parts and adds them up.

Is the SSP total before or after tax?

It is the gross amount, before tax and National Insurance are taken off.2 Your take-home SSP will be lower if you pay tax. Use a PAYE or take-home pay tool to see the net figure.

Does overtime or bonus pay count in average weekly earnings?

Yes. Average weekly earnings must include all earnings on which Class 1 National Insurance contributions are due, or would be due if earnings were high enough.8 Overtime, bonuses and commission paid through payroll count. Add these into the gross salary box so the average weekly figure is right. This matters because the 80% cap from 6 April 2026 is based on that figure.

Why is 80% of my pay used instead of the full weekly rate?

From 6 April 2026, SSP is the lower of £123.25 a week or 80% of your average weekly pay.5 If you earn less than about £154 a week, 80% of your pay is the smaller number, so that is what you get. The rate comparison table shows both figures and which one was used.

Can employers claim SSP back from the government?

No. Employers cannot recover Statutory Sick Pay.7 The total in this calculator is what the employer pays out.

What if the company sick pay scheme pays more than SSP?

Then the employee gets the higher contract amount, not SSP. SSP is only the legal minimum.1 Employers usually count SSP as part of the contractual sick pay rather than paying both on top of each other.

Do self-employed workers get SSP?

No. To get SSP you must be classed as an employee and have done some work for your employer.3 Self-employed people cannot get SSP, but they may be able to claim Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit instead.3

Does the 28-week SSP limit ever reset?

Yes. Periods of sickness that are 8 weeks (56 days) or less apart are linked and treated as one.8 A new absence that starts more than 56 days after the last one is not linked and starts a fresh 28 weeks, while a linked absence shares the same 28 weeks. The tracker bar shows how much of the 28 weeks is left.

What if the employee goes home sick part way through a day?

That day does not count. A day cannot be counted as a sick day if the employee worked for a minute or more before going home sick.4 If the employee worked any part of the day, start the sick period from the next working day.

Sources

  1. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): Overview. GOV.UK. Accessed September 11, 2026.
  2. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): What you'll get. GOV.UK. Accessed September 11, 2026.
  3. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): Eligibility. GOV.UK. Accessed September 11, 2026.
  4. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): employer guide: Entitlement. GOV.UK. Accessed September 11, 2026.
  5. Sickness absences that start before and end on or after 6 April 2026. HM Revenue & Customs. 2026. Accessed September 11, 2026.
  6. Rates and thresholds for employers 2025 to 2026. HM Revenue & Customs. 2025;Statutory Sick Pay; Class 1 National Insurance thresholds. Accessed September 11, 2026.
  7. Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027. HM Revenue & Customs. 2026;Statutory Sick Pay. Accessed September 11, 2026.
  8. Work out your employee's Statutory Sick Pay manually. HM Revenue & Customs. Accessed September 11, 2026.
  9. Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, section 155 (as at 5 April 2026). legislation.gov.uk. s. 155(1). Accessed September 11, 2026.
  10. Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, section 152 (as at 5 April 2026). legislation.gov.uk. s. 152(2) and (5). Accessed September 11, 2026.
  11. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): employer guide: Overview. GOV.UK. Accessed September 11, 2026.

Related Finance calculators

All Finance calculators
Finance

ADP Paycheck Calculator

Estimate net pay from hourly, salary, or 1099 income. Applies 2026 federal brackets, W-4 Steps 2-4, all 50 states, pre-tax deductions, bonus withholding.

Open Finance

Army BAH Calculator

Estimate 2026 monthly and annual BAH by duty station MHA, pay grade E-1 to O-10, and dependency status. Shows daily prorated rate and 5-year trend.

Open Finance

Iowa Paycheck Calculator

Calculate Iowa take-home pay with 3.8% flat tax, school district surtax, and Appanoose County local tax. Hourly or salary, overtime, pre-tax deductions.

Open Finance

Living Wage Calculator

Estimate living wage by state, county, or metro for 12 household types. Compare to minimum wage and poverty line, or budget expenses with 50/30/20 splits.

Open Finance

Louisiana Paycheck Calculator

Estimate Louisiana take-home pay from hourly or salary input. Covers 2020+ and legacy W-4, 3% state tax, pre-tax and post-tax deductions, overtime.

Open Finance

NC Paycheck Calculator

Calculate North Carolina take-home pay from salary or hourly wages with overtime. Set W-4 steps, NC-4 allowances, pre-tax and post-tax deductions.

Open Finance

OHA Calculator

Estimate overseas housing allowance by pay grade, duty station, and dependents. Compare rent to the ceiling, see utility and MIHA amounts in USD.

Open Finance

Utah Paycheck Calculator

Estimate Utah take-home pay at the 4.5% flat rate. Enter hourly or salary pay, W-4 steps, 401(k) and pre-tax deductions. See FICA and step-by-step math.

Open