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The short answer
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is up to £123.25 a week, paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks (GOV.UK, checked October 2026); HMRC's 2026-27 employer rates give it as £123.25 or 80% of average weekly earnings. GOV.UK says you qualify if you are classed as an employee, have done some work for your employer and have been ill for at least one full working day. SSP is not a public fund, so claiming it does not breach a no recourse to public funds condition.
Falling ill in your first weeks in a new UK job is stressful: you worry about pay, about your manager, and on a visa, about what it means for sponsorship. The rules on Statutory Sick Pay are simpler than many people expect, and they apply from early in a job.
Who qualifies
GOV.UK's eligibility page sets these conditions:
- you are classed as an employee (agency workers may also be entitled)
- you have done some work for your employer
- you have been ill for at least one full working day
The page lists exceptions: you cannot get SSP if you have already had the maximum 28 weeks, or if you are getting Statutory Maternity Pay. Separate periods of sickness are linked if each lasts more than one full working day and they are eight weeks or less apart; SSP stops if a continuous series of linked periods lasts more than three years.
How much you get
- Weekly amount
- Up to £123.25 a week (GOV.UK)
- Employer rates page, 2026-27
- £123.25 or 80% of average weekly earnings
- Maximum length
- 28 weeks
- How paid
- By your employer, through payroll
- Company sick pay
- Your employer may pay more under its own scheme, never less than SSP
Worked examples (illustrative)
Read with the employer rates page, which pairs the flat figure with 80% of earnings, the lower amount applies:
| Average weekly earnings | 80% of earnings | SSP (lower figure) |
|---|---|---|
| £300 | £240.00 | £123.25 |
| £120 | £96.00 | £96.00 |
So a full-time worker on the National Living Wage gets the flat £123.25, while someone on a few hours a week may get 80% of their pay. Your payslip will show which applies. For anyone used to a full wage, £123.25 a week is a sharp cut: on a 37.5-hour week at £12.71 an hour, it is about a quarter of gross pay.
Fit notes and proof
GOV.UK says you need a fit note if you are off for more than seven days in a row, counting non-working days. With your employer's agreement, other evidence such as an AHP Health and Work Report or a return-to-work plan can be used. Tell your employer you are sick in the way your contract or handbook says, and keep a note of when you called and who you spoke to.
If you do not qualify or SSP ends
Your employer must give you form SSP1 if you do not qualify, or when SSP is ending: within seven days of your first day off if you do not qualify, within seven days if it ends unexpectedly, or by the start of the 23rd week if it is expected to end before your illness does. GOV.UK says you may then be able to claim Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance.
Sickness and sponsorship
Sponsored workers often fear that time off sick will end their sponsorship. The sponsor guidance (part 2, August 2026) says sponsors should normally stop sponsoring someone who has been absent on unpaid or reduced pay for more than four weeks in a calendar year, but lists sick leave among the permitted reasons. So being off sick on SSP is not, by itself, a reason for your sponsor to stop sponsoring you.
What to do in the first week
- Report sickness the way your employer's policy says, on the first day.
- Get a fit note if you will be off more than seven days.
- Check your next payslip shows SSP or company sick pay.
- If you were told you do not qualify, ask for form SSP1 in writing.
- Cut non-essential spending early; the first SSP payslip is often the shock.
Where Pryme fits
When pay drops, seeing every commitment in one place helps. The Pryme Personal Assistant can list bills and prepare reminders, nothing moves without your approval, and a Personal Account holds pounds and naira together (multicurrency). Read the UK payslip explained to find the SSP line. Outside Nigeria, Pryme's activities are carried out through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
How much is Statutory Sick Pay in 2026?
GOV.UK says up to £123.25 a week, for up to 28 weeks. HMRC's 2026-27 employer rates give it as £123.25 or 80% of average weekly earnings.
Do I get sick pay in my first week of a new job?
GOV.UK says you need to be an employee, to have done some work for your employer and to have been ill for at least one full working day.
Is SSP a public fund?
No. GOV.UK's public funds list names Statutory Sick Pay among payments that are not public funds.
When do I need a fit note?
If you are off sick for more than seven days in a row, including non-working days.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Statutory Sick Pay (updated 5 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Statutory Sick Pay, eligibility · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 (updated 1 Sep 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Public funds (updated 9 Apr 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Workers and Temporary Workers, guidance for sponsors part 2 (Aug 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.