How much is SSP per week?
SSP is £123.25 per week at most. The exact weekly amount is the lower of that flat rate or 80% of your average weekly earnings: someone earning £500.00 a week gets £123.25, while someone earning £100.00 a week gets £80.00. It runs from the first full day of sickness.
How much is SSP per week for a full-time worker?
Most full-time workers earn enough that 80% of their pay is more than the flat rate, so their SSP is simply £123.25 for each full week of sickness. The switch-over point is average earnings of £154.06 a week: at or above it, the flat rate applies; below it, the weekly amount drops below £123.25 and tracks earnings instead. That is why two colleagues off in the same week can receive different amounts — the calculation is personal to each employee's pay, as the SSP rate guide explains.
How much is SSP per week at different pay levels?
| Average weekly earnings | 80% of earnings | SSP per week (the lower figure) |
|---|---|---|
| £80.00 | £64.00 | £64.00 |
| £100.00 | £80.00 | £80.00 |
| £120.00 | £96.00 | £96.00 |
| £140.00 | £112.00 | £112.00 |
| £160.00 | £128.00 | £123.25 (flat rate cap) |
| £200.00 | £160.00 | £123.25 (flat rate cap) |
| £300.00 | £240.00 | £123.25 (flat rate cap) |
| £500.00 | £400.00 | £123.25 (flat rate cap) |
Read the table row by row: find the earnings closest to the employee's average weekly pay, and the right-hand column is the weekly SSP. From £160.00 of earnings upwards, the flat rate has taken over and the weekly amount no longer rises — it stays at £123.25 however much the employee earns.
What if I am off for only part of a week?
Then the weekly amount is broken down into a daily rate and only the days of absence are paid. The daily rate is the weekly amount divided by your qualifying days — the days you normally work. A Monday-to-Friday worker on £500.00 a week has a weekly SSP amount of £123.25 and a daily rate of £24.65, so two days off sick pays £49.30. Days you would not normally work are never paid: a weekend in the middle of a spell does not add anything for a Monday-to-Friday worker. Our guide to how much SSP is covers the daily amounts for every working pattern.
Worked example: two weeks off sick
An employee earns £250.00 a week and is off sick for two full weeks. Step one: 80% of £250.00 is £200.00, which is more than the flat rate, so the weekly amount is the lower figure — £123.25. Step two: there is nothing to break down, because both weeks are complete. The total SSP is two times £123.25, which is £246.50, paid through the normal payroll across the two pay periods the sickness falls in. The same employee off for a third week would receive another £123.25, and so on up to the 28-week maximum.
Is the weekly SSP amount the same every week?
Yes, for as long as the sickness lasts and the employee's earnings basis stays the same — the weekly amount is fixed at the start of the spell from average weekly earnings and does not drift week by week. What can change things is a new spell: if the employee returns and goes off again within eight weeks, the spells link and the 28-week limit is shared; after a longer gap, a fresh period begins with its own entitlement and the weekly amount is worked out again.
SSP rates at a glance
| Rule | Amount |
|---|---|
| SSP flat weekly rate (the maximum) | £123.25 per week |
| SSP alternative weekly amount | 80% of average weekly earnings — you get whichever of the two is lower |
| Paid from | The first full day of sickness — no waiting days |
| Lower earnings limit | None — there is no minimum earnings threshold |
| Maximum entitlement | 28 weeks in one (linked) period of sickness |
Rates: April 2026 rules — verified against GOV.UK. Last verified: 7 November 2026.
Work out your own SSP
Enter the employee's average weekly earnings and the days they normally work, and the free SSP calculator shows the weekly rate, the daily rate and the total payable — with the working shown.
Open the SSP calculator →More SSP guides
What is Statutory Sick Pay?
What SSP is, who pays it, who qualifies and how long it lasts — the plain-English starting point for UK sick pay.
Read the guide →How much is Statutory Sick Pay?
The weekly and daily amounts worked out: the £123.25 cap, the 80%-of-earnings rule, and what different workers actually receive.
Read the guide →SSP Rate
The current SSP rate, why your pay might be less than the headline figure, and when the rate changes.
Read the guide →How is SSP calculated?
The three-step calculation — weekly amount, daily rate, days payable — walked through step by step with worked examples.
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Is SSP £123.25 a week for everyone?
No. £123.25 is the maximum weekly amount. You receive the lower of that flat rate or 80% of your average weekly earnings, so anyone earning less than about £154 a week receives the 80% figure instead — £80 a week on earnings of £100, for example.
How much is SSP per week for a part-time worker?
It is worked out the same way: the lower of £123.25 or 80% of the part-time worker's own average weekly earnings. A part-timer earning £120 a week receives £96 a week, paid as a daily rate across their own qualifying days. There is no minimum-earnings test to pass first.
What happens when the 28 weeks of SSP run out?
SSP stops at the end of the 28-week entitlement. Before it ends, the employer must give the employee form SSP1, which the employee uses to claim other support such as Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) — ideally in good time, so there is no gap between SSP ending and a new claim starting.
Is SSP paid every week?
SSP is paid through the normal payroll on your usual payday, so weekly-paid staff see it weekly and monthly-paid staff see it in their monthly pay. Either way, the underlying entitlement is built up at the weekly and daily rates described on this page.
Can I get SSP from two jobs at the same time?
Yes, potentially. SSP is assessed separately for each employment, so an employee with two jobs can receive SSP from each employer they qualify with, based on the earnings and qualifying days of that job. Each employer's 28-week clock runs on its own.