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Key points

• If an employee is too ill to work they can receive £86.70 per week Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from their employer for up to 28 weeks
• To qualify for SSP employees must meet the eligibility criteria and have been absent from work due to sickness for 4 or more days in a row (including non-working days)
• SSP is not paid for the first 3 days an employee is absent due to sickness unless they have received SSP within the last 8 weeks and are eligible for it again
• Employers cannot pay less than the statutory amount though you can pay more if your company has a sick pay scheme (or ‘occupational scheme’)
• SSP is paid by the employer in the same wage as normal wages (e.g. weekly or monthly)
• Tax and National Insurance should be deducted 

Eligibility criteria

To qualify for SSP an employee must:

✓ be classed as an 'employee' and have done some work for you 

✓ have been ill for at least 4 days in a row (including non-working days)

✓ earn at least £109 (before tax) per week

✓ inform their employer that they are sick before the company deadline (or within 7 days if no deadline exists)

Agency workers are entitled to SSP

Employees can qualify even if they started their job recently and haven’t received 8 weeks’ pay yet

Employees are only required to provide their employer with a doctor’s 'fit note' if they miss more than 7 days of work

 Employee won’t qualify if they:

• have received the maximum amount of SSP (28 weeks)
• have taken 3 years or more ‘linked periods’ of sickness - i.e. where 4 or more days of sickness occur within 8 weeks of each other
• are receiving Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)

What you need to do

If your employee does not qualify for SSP you must give them a SSP1 form within 7 days of their illness

We calculate all statutory payments for you - ensuring staff get paid everything they are entitled to and making all reclaims from HMRC on your behalf

Fixed price payroll service from just £9.95* per run