Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is the minimum amount your employer must pay you when you're too ill to work. At £116.75 per week (2025/26), it's not much — roughly £23 per day for a five-day working week. But knowing how it works, when it starts, and what happens when it runs out is essential for anyone facing time off due to illness.
Who qualifies for SSP
You qualify if you're an employee (not self-employed), your illness lasts at least four consecutive days (including non-working days and weekends), you earn at least £123 per week on average (the Lower Earnings Limit), and you've told your employer you're sick within their notification deadline or within seven days.
The four consecutive days don't all have to be working days. If you're ill from Friday to Monday, that's four days even if you only work Monday to Friday. The first three days are "waiting days" during which SSP isn't paid. Payment starts from day four.
How long does SSP last?
SSP is payable for up to 28 weeks per period of sickness. If you return to work and fall ill again within eight weeks, the periods are linked — meaning your 28 weeks don't reset. If the gap is more than eight weeks, a new period starts with new waiting days.
After 28 weeks, SSP stops. At that point, you'd need to claim benefits — Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit — depending on your circumstances. Your employer should give you form SSP1 at least four weeks before your SSP ends, which you need for your benefit claim.
Employer sick pay vs SSP
Many employers offer contractual sick pay (also called occupational or company sick pay) that's more generous than SSP. Typical schemes offer full pay for a number of weeks, then half pay for a further period, before dropping to SSP. Public sector employees often have generous sick pay schemes — six months' full pay and six months' half pay after five years' service is common in the NHS, for instance.
Check your employment contract or staff handbook for details. Contractual sick pay includes SSP — your employer doesn't pay SSP on top of company sick pay.
Fit notes and medical evidence
For the first seven days of illness, you can self-certify — just tell your employer you're sick. No doctor's note needed. After seven days, you need a fit note (sometimes still called a sick note) from your GP, hospital doctor, or certain other healthcare professionals.
The fit note has two options: "not fit for work" or "may be fit for work." The second option lets your GP suggest adjustments — reduced hours, amended duties, workplace adaptations — that might help you return sooner. Your employer should consider these suggestions, though they're not legally bound to implement them if it's not feasible.
SSP and the self-employed
Self-employed people cannot claim SSP — there's no employer to pay it. This is one of the significant financial risks of self-employment. Income protection insurance is particularly important if you're self-employed, as you'd otherwise have no income during illness until benefits kick in (and those have their own qualifying criteria and limitations).
When your employer can refuse SSP
Your employer can lawfully refuse SSP if you earn below the Lower Earnings Limit, you haven't notified them of your sickness within the required timeframe, you haven't provided medical evidence when required (after seven days), or your entitlement has been exhausted (28 weeks). They cannot refuse SSP simply because they disbelieve you're ill, though persistent or suspicious absence patterns may lead to other management processes.
If your employer refuses SSP and you believe you qualify, you can ask HMRC to make a formal decision. HMRC can direct the employer to pay SSP if they find you're entitled.
SSP and other benefits
You can't claim SSP and Statutory Maternity Pay at the same time. You can't claim SSP if you're already receiving Employment and Support Allowance. But you may be able to claim Universal Credit to top up SSP if your income is low enough — SSP of £116.75 per week is below the Universal Credit threshold for many people.
Planning for sickness absence
Given how low SSP is, having some financial resilience is important. An emergency fund covering three to six months' essential expenses provides a critical buffer. Income protection insurance replaces a larger proportion of your income for longer periods. And understanding your employer's sick pay policy before you need it means no surprises during an already difficult time.