The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed updated Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) rates that will take effect from April 2026, following changes to employment law that now affect millions of workers.
SSP is the legal minimum that employers across the UK must pay to eligible staff who are absent from work due to illness. The new figures were published alongside revised rates for a range of other benefits.
New SSP rates for 2026-27 and 2027-28
The standard weekly rate of Statutory Sick Pay will rise to £123.25 for the 2026 to 2027 tax year, and to £127.55 for 2027 to 2028.
Earlier this year, landmark legislation affecting anyone calling in sick was introduced, impacting 15 million people. Seven key measures within the Employment Rights Act came into effect, including 'day one' rights for parental and bereavement leave, along with the abolition of fire and rehire practices.
The most significant change transformed sick pay into a "day one" right, removing the three-day waiting period and the earnings threshold. Up to 1.3 million of the lowest earners will now receive statutory sick pay from their first day of illness.
Employer concerns over new rules
A survey of over 1,000 employers regarding the Employment Rights Act found that one in three cited paying statutory sick pay from the first day of illness as the most challenging measure, while more than one in four identified the right to take paternity leave from day one of employment.
Baroness Maggie Jones, who chairs employment relations service Acas, said: "The reforms in the Employment Rights Act are the biggest shake-up to employment law in a generation, and it is vital that employers get up to speed quickly."
"The new day-one rights on sick pay and paternity are already in effect and new protections against unfair dismissals are set to come in next year. Acas has updated its advice on probations to reflect the new changes on unfair dismissals, which is a significant change in the law. Businesses that get on top of all the changes early can prevent costly disputes from happening."
Key changes brought in during 2026
Statutory Sick Pay now applies to more employees, with no earnings threshold and no three-day waiting period. The lower earnings limit has been removed, meaning workers do not need to earn a minimum amount to be eligible.
Other changes include day-one family leave, giving employees the right to Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave from the first day in a new job, with notice possible from February 18. A new Bereaved Partner's Paternity Leave right allows time off following the death of a child's mother or primary adopter.
Collective redundancy protections have been strengthened with an increase to the protective award for non-compliance, and whistleblowing protections have been strengthened for workers who report sexual harassment. A new Fair Work Agency has been established to uphold workers' rights and support businesses with compliance.
From October 30 2026, employers must take 'all reasonable steps' to prevent sexual harassment of their workers, replacing the previous 'reasonable steps' requirement, and they are liable for harassment from third parties such as customers or clients unless they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent it.
Trade union recognition processes have also been simplified. From October 30, workers recruited after a trade union recognition application is submitted can be excluded from the recognition process, and the complaints process for unfair practice during a recognition ballot has been updated, with trade unions or employers now having 5 working days following the close of a ballot to lodge complaints, up from one working day.
On October 30 2026, regulations governing trade union rights to access the workplace were revised, with the right now covering both physical and digital access to workplaces, and extending to non-recognised trade unions.
