UK Statutory Pay Timeline 2026/27
Pick your scenario - sick leave, maternity, paternity, adoption or redundancy - and see the exact week-by-week statutory pay schedule. All rates pulled from gov.uk + DWP verified for the 2026/27 tax year.
Your scenario
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Week-by-week timeline
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Important changes from 6 April 2026
The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduced two material SSP changes from the 2026/27 tax year:
- Three-day waiting period removed. SSP is now payable from the first full day of sickness absence. Previously the first 3 working days were unpaid.
- Lower Earnings Limit removed. All eligible employees can claim SSP regardless of their average weekly earnings. Previously only those earning >£123/wk qualified. A new 80%-of-AWE alternative is paid where AWE is below £154 - whichever is lower of £123.25 or 80% AWE.
Source: gov.uk SSP manual calculation + HMRC Employer Bulletin April 2026.
Verified 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 + 13 weeks unpaid. |
| Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) | £194.32 | 2 weeks @ £194.32 (or 90% AWE if lower). Must take within 52 weeks of birth. |
| 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 year by age band, max 20 years. First £30,000 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 Proposed Benefit and Pension Rates 2026 to 2027.
- Statutory Redundancy weekly cap £751 from 6 April 2026 (uplifted from £719) per gov.uk redundancy pay. Statute: Employment Rights Act 1996 s162-s163 + the Statutory Redundancy Pay (Amendment) Order 2026.
- Employment Rights Act 2025 (SSP changes) - legislation.gov.uk.
- Estimate only. Specific cases may have additional rules (insolvency redundancy via Redundancy Payments Service, NHS / civil service contractual top-ups, etc.) not modelled here.