Statutory Sick PayWhat it means, in plain English

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is the minimum sick pay UK employers must pay eligible employees who are off work ill, for up to 28 weeks per period of sickness. It is paid at a flat weekly rate reviewed each April and is paid through payroll like normal wages, with tax and National Insurance deducted. Reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025 make SSP payable from the first day of sickness and extend eligibility to lower earners, removing the old waiting days and earnings threshold.