UK Statutory Pay Timeline 2026/27
Week-by-week UK statutory pay for 2026/27: sick pay £123.25/wk, maternity, paternity and adoption pay £194.32/wk, redundancy pay with a £751 weekly cap.
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Week-by-week timeline
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Important changes from 6 April 2026
The Employment Rights Act 2025 (ss.10 and 11) made two SSP changes from 6 April 2026. Northern Ireland's SSP legislation carries the same rate rule:
- Three-day waiting period removed. SSP is now paid once an employee is sick for at least one full working day, for each day off they would normally have worked. Previously the first 3 qualifying days were unpaid and a period of sickness had to last at least 4 days.
- Lower Earnings Limit removed. All eligible employees can claim SSP regardless of their average weekly earnings. Until 5 April 2026 only those earning at least the Lower Earnings Limit (£125/wk in 2025/26) qualified. SSP is now the lower of £123.25 or 80% of average weekly earnings, so anyone earning less than £154.06 a week gets 80% of their earnings.
Source: gov.uk SSP entitlement, ERA 2025 s.10 and s.11.
Statutory rates 2026/27 (from 6 April 2026)
| Statutory pay | Weekly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) | £123.25 | Or 80% AWE if lower. Up to 28 weeks. No 3-day waiting period from April 2026. |
| Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) | £194.32 | 6 weeks @ 90% AWE + 33 weeks @ £194.32 (or 90% AWE if lower) = 39 weeks paid, within 52 weeks of leave. Needs average earnings of at least £129/wk. |
| Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) | £194.32 | Up to 2 weeks @ £194.32 (or 90% AWE if lower), together or as two 1-week blocks, ending within 52 weeks of the birth. Needs 26 weeks' service and at least £129/wk. |
| Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP) | £194.32 | Same structure as SMP: 6 wks @ 90% AWE + 33 wks @ £194.32 / 90% AWE. |
| Statutory Redundancy Pay (SRP) | £751 cap | Weekly pay capped. Formula: 0.5 / 1 / 1.5 weeks per full year of service by age band (under 22 / 22-40 / 41+), max 20 years, so at most £22,530. Needs 2 years' service. First £30,000 of termination payments tax-free. |
Sources
- SSP rate + new April 2026 rules per gov.uk Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 and the April 2026 Employer Bulletin.
- SMP / SPP / SAP rate £194.32 per the DWP Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027.
- Statutory Redundancy weekly cap £751 from 6 April 2026 (up from £719) per gov.uk redundancy pay. Statute: Employment Rights Act 1996 s.162 (amount), s.227 (week's pay limit) and the Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2026 (SI 2026/310). Tax-free amount: ITEPA 2003 s.403.
- Employment Rights Act 2025 (SSP changes) - s.10 and s.11.
- Estimate only. Specific cases may have additional rules (insolvency redundancy via Redundancy Payments Service, NHS / civil service contractual top-ups, etc.) not modelled here.