UK Statutory Sick Pay Forecaster — SSP Eligibility & Income

How This Tool Works

📋 Purpose

UK Statutory Sick Pay is the legal minimum sick pay your employer must provide if you meet eligibility. At £116.75 a week and capped at 28 weeks, it is rarely enough on its own to maintain household stability through a long absence. This forecaster combines SSP with any contractual sick pay you have, applies the 3 waiting days and Lower Earnings Limit eligibility test, projects net weekly income across the absence, and forecasts the cliff edge when contractual sick pay or SSP ends. It also walks through the SSP1 transition to Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit so you can plan a benefits claim early rather than waiting for income to disappear. The output is a realistic month-by-month income picture you can take to mortgage, rent and creditor conversations before the gap becomes critical.

⚙️ How It Works

1
Enter normal earnings and check LEL eligibility
2
State the absence dates and self-cert vs fit note window
3
Add contractual sick pay schedule
4
See weekly net income across the absence
5
Plan the 28-week SSP transition to ESA or UC
6
Forecast household impact and shortfall

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Complete Guide to UK Statutory Sick Pay

How SSP eligibility works, the 28-week limit, what happens after SSP runs out, and how contractual sick pay layers on top.

📅 Last updated: 2026-05-01

Quick Tips

Jump-start your understanding with these essential tips

SSP for 2024/25 is £116.75 per week, paid by your employer through PAYE for up to 28 weeks of qualifying sickness absence in a single Period of Incapacity for Work (PIW).

Eligibility requires average earnings at or above the Lower Earnings Limit, currently £123/week (£533/month). Below that, no SSP entitlement at all — even though NI may apply.

SSP starts on day 4 of incapacity, not day 1. The first three qualifying days (days you would have worked) are unpaid waiting days. Linked PIWs within 8 weeks share the same waiting days.

The 28-week SSP cap applies per Period of Incapacity for Work. After 28 weeks, employers issue an SSP1 form and you transition to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit, depending on circumstances.

Many UK employers offer contractual sick pay (full pay for X weeks then half pay for Y weeks) which inclusive of SSP keeps income at near-normal level. Always check your contract before assuming SSP only.

For the first 7 calendar days of sickness you can self-certify. From day 8 you need a fit note from a GP, hospital, pharmacist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist or registered nurse.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to get the most from this tool

Type your average weekly or monthly gross pay and any contractual sick pay terms. The tool checks the Lower Earnings Limit (£123/week) eligibility and calculates the gap between SSP and your normal take-home pay.

Enter the first day of sickness and the expected end date or unknown. The tool builds a calendar of qualifying days, applies the 3 waiting days, and projects payment dates and amounts.

If your contract offers full pay or half pay for a period, enter the schedule. The tool layers contractual sick pay on top of SSP (SSP is offset against contractual amount, not paid in addition).

Result panel shows weekly net income for each week of absence: weeks 1-3 (waiting days impact), weeks 4-X (full SSP plus contractual), and the cliff edge when contractual sick pay ends and you move to SSP only.

If absence is likely to exceed 28 weeks, the tool shows the SSP end date and the transition to ESA (contributory) or Universal Credit (means tested). It explains the SSP1 form your employer must issue 7 weeks before SSP ends.

Add partner income, mortgage/rent and core bills. The tool shows the monthly shortfall vs household outgoings and suggests action steps: emergency fund draw, mortgage payment holiday request, council tax discount application, and benefit claims.

Advanced Topics

Deep dives for advanced users

Two periods of sickness within 8 weeks of each other are treated as a single linked PIW for SSP purposes. This means:

You do not serve fresh waiting days for the second period
The 28-week SSP cap counts cumulatively across linked periods
If SSP was exhausted in the first period, no further SSP is payable in the linked second

Practical effect: people with relapsing conditions may exhaust the 28-week cap quickly.

After 28 weeks of SSP, your employer issues an SSP1 form and you can claim:

Employment and Support Allowance (new style): contributory, based on NI record. Currently £71.70/week assessment phase, then £90.50/week (work-related activity group) or £138.20/week (support group) after 13 weeks.
Universal Credit: means-tested, replaces ESA where you have low household income or are not eligible for new-style ESA. Includes a Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity element.

Both require Work Capability Assessment outcomes which can take months. Apply early.

Contractual sick pay schemes are common in the public sector, large employers and unionised workplaces. Typical pattern:

Full pay for first 4 to 26 weeks
Half pay for next 4 to 26 weeks
SSP only thereafter, until the 28-week cap

SSP is included within (not on top of) contractual full or half pay. After contractual sick pay ends, SSP continues until 28 weeks is reached.

Pregnancy-related sickness before the 4 weeks before expected childbirth qualifies for SSP normally. From 4 weeks before childbirth, any pregnancy-related sickness automatically triggers Maternity Allowance or Statutory Maternity Pay rather than SSP.

Maternity-related entitlements are generally more generous than SSP, so this transition usually improves income.

Zero-hours and irregular workers can qualify for SSP if their average earnings over the 8 weeks before sickness met the Lower Earnings Limit. Casual workers may have qualifying days defined by usual work pattern even where no fixed contract exists.

The SSP entitlement is for "qualifying days" — days you would have worked in the absence of sickness. For genuinely intermittent workers this can be limited or nil for some weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers to common questions about this tool

Only if weekends are your normal working days. SSP is paid only for "qualifying days" which are days you would normally have worked, after the 3 waiting days.

If insolvent during sickness, you can claim outstanding SSP as a debt from the Insolvency Service. Future SSP from that employer ends when the company is wound up.

Yes — if you have two part-time jobs each meeting the Lower Earnings Limit, each employer pays SSP separately for sickness affecting that job.

Yes. SSP is paid through PAYE and subject to income tax and National Insurance like normal pay. Most basic-rate workers see roughly £93/week net from £116.75 gross.

After 7 calendar days of sickness. The first 7 days are self-certified using form SC2 or your employer's self-cert form. Day 8 onwards needs a fit note.

Only if you do not meet eligibility (LEL, contract type, qualifying days). Refusal must be issued via SSP1 form within 7 days, which lets you claim ESA or UC instead.

SSP counts as income for means-tested benefits including Universal Credit, so a Universal Credit award reduces by 55p for every £1 of SSP above the work allowance.

UK SSP is among the lowest in Western Europe in cash terms relative to median earnings. Countries like Germany, Netherlands and Sweden pay 70 to 100% of normal pay for the first 6 to 12 weeks of sickness.

If the new period starts within 8 weeks of the last, it links to the previous PIW (no new waiting days, but the 28-week cap continues). Outside 8 weeks, a fresh PIW starts with new waiting days.

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