Statutory Sick Pay Basics

To receive Statutory Sick Pay from your employer, you must meet the following conditions:

• You are classed as an employee (not self-employed) and have done some work for your employer
• You earn at least £123 per week on average (the Lower Earnings Limit 2025/26)
• You have been ill (or deemed incapable of work) for at least four consecutive days, including non-working days such as weekends
• You have notified your employer of your sickness by their stated deadline (or within 7 days if no deadline is set)

Certain groups are excluded from SSP or have different rules, including:

• Self-employed workers (who must claim through Universal Credit or ESA instead)
• Agency workers who are not employed directly
• Employees who have already received 28 weeks of SSP within the past three years for the same or a linked condition
• Employees who are in legal custody
• Employees who are pregnant and whose illness is related to pregnancy within the disqualifying period (four weeks before the expected week of childbirth)

SSP is paid at a flat weekly rate of £118.75 (2025/26). It is paid by your employer in the same way and at the same time as your normal wages — through payroll, subject to income tax and National Insurance deductions. Employers can no longer reclaim SSP from the government (except during specific government schemes).

The first three qualifying days of sickness are known as waiting days and are not paid. SSP only begins from the fourth consecutive day of sickness. If you are only ill for three days, you will not receive any SSP for that absence.

If you have been off sick recently, your periods of sickness may be linked. Two separate periods of sickness are treated as one continuous period if there are eight weeks or fewer between them. This means waiting days only apply once across both periods, and the maximum 28-week SSP entitlement counts across both episodes.

Your employer must give you an SSP1 form within seven days if you do not qualify for SSP, so you can claim alternative benefits.

For the first seven days of sickness, you can self-certify your illness — no medical certificate is required. You may need to complete a self-certification form (SC2) provided by your employer, but this is not compulsory by law.

After seven consecutive days of sickness, your employer may require medical evidence. This will usually be a Statement of Fitness for Work (commonly called a "fit note" or "sick note") issued by a GP, hospital doctor, nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist, or physiotherapist. Fit notes are free to obtain from the NHS.

A fit note can state either that you are "not fit for work" or that you "may be fit for work" subject to certain conditions (such as reduced hours, amended duties, or workplace adaptations). Where a fit note states "may be fit for work," your employer should discuss whether any adjustments are possible. If no adjustments can be made, the fit note is treated as though it says "not fit for work."

SSP can be paid for a maximum of 28 weeks. If you are still too ill to work after 28 weeks, your employer must give you an SSP1 form at least three weeks before SSP ends. This form allows you to make a claim for:

• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) — a benefit for people who cannot work due to illness or disability. ESA is assessed and paid by the DWP.
• Universal Credit — if you have limited capability for work due to a health condition, Universal Credit may include a health element after an assessment.

Your employer cannot dismiss you simply because your SSP has run out. Dismissing someone due to a long-term health condition may constitute unfair dismissal or disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 if the condition amounts to a disability. Your employer is required to make reasonable adjustments and explore alternatives such as phased return to work, reduced hours, or alternative duties before considering dismissal.