What is statutory sick pay and when do I get it?
The minimum an employer must pay when you are off sick, who qualifies, the waiting days, and how it interacts with a company sick pay scheme.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 15 min
- Read
- 3 min
Short answer
Statutory sick pay is a flat weekly amount paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks of sickness absence, if you earn above the lower earnings limit and are off for long enough to pass the waiting days. Many employers pay contractual sick pay on top of or instead of it — check the contract, because the difference is usually large. Current rates and qualifying conditions are on GOV.UK.
Statutory sick pay is deliberately a floor, not a wage replacement. Understanding it matters most in two situations: when a company scheme runs out and you drop to the statutory rate, and when you are not sure whether you qualify at all. The rate and the earnings threshold both change most years, and the waiting-day rules have been altered more than once, so anything you read that quotes a figure needs checking against the current GOV.UK page.
Step by step
- Check the contract for company sick pay first.Many employers pay full or half pay for a defined period. Where a scheme exists, it usually absorbs statutory sick pay rather than adding to it. The number that matters to your budget is what the scheme pays and for how long.
- Check whether you qualify for the statutory scheme.The main conditions are being classed as an employee, earning at least the lower earnings limit on average, and being off sick for enough consecutive days. Agency workers can qualify. The genuinely self-employed cannot.
- Understand the waiting days.The scheme has historically not paid for the first few days of an absence — those are waiting days, and the absence has to run past them before payment starts. This rule has been the subject of recent reform, so confirm the current position rather than assuming.
- Tell your employer within their deadline.Employers can set their own reporting rule — normally by a stated time on the first day. Missing it can delay or reduce payment. It is in the contract or handbook.
- Self-certify for the first week.For short absences you complete the employer's self-certification form. Beyond that they can ask for a fit note. See the guide on getting a fit note for how that works in practice.
- Know how long it lasts.The statutory scheme runs for up to 28 weeks in a period of sickness. Linked periods of absence close together can count together towards that limit.
- Plan for the cliff edge before you reach it.The hardest moment financially is when company sick pay ends. Find the date early, not the week it happens, and look at what support exists — MoneyHelper and Citizens Advice both cover the options, and some insurance policies and mortgage products have provisions people forget they hold.
- Check your payslip while you are off.Sick pay should be itemised. Pension contributions, student loan deductions and salary sacrifice arrangements all behave differently on reduced pay, and errors are common.
Common mistakes
- Assuming statutory sick pay is a proportion of your salary — It is a flat weekly amount regardless of what you earn, so the drop from full pay is far steeper than most people expect.
- Not reading the company scheme until you need it — The length of the scheme is the single most important number in a long absence, and it is usually knowable in five minutes from the handbook.
Questions people ask
Do I get sick pay from the first day?
Historically no — the statutory scheme has waiting days at the start of an absence, and payment begins after them. Company schemes often pay from day one. The waiting-day rules have been subject to reform, so check the current GOV.UK page.
Can I get statutory sick pay if I am on a zero hours contract?
Potentially yes. The test is whether you are classed as an employee and whether your average earnings reach the lower earnings limit, not whether your hours are guaranteed.
What happens after 28 weeks?
Statutory sick pay ends. Your employer should issue form SSP1, which is what you need to claim other support. Get free advice from Citizens Advice or MoneyHelper at that point rather than after.