How to Claim Statutory Sick Pay and Provide a Fit Note to Your Employer

Who can get Statutory Sick Pay in 2026?

For a sickness absence starting on or after 6 April 2026, you normally qualify for SSP if you:

• are classed as an employee;
• have done some work for your employer; and
• are ill for at least one full working day.

Agency workers can also be entitled where the conditions are met.

The April 2026 reforms removed the previous minimum earnings requirement. An eligible employee can therefore qualify even if their weekly earnings are below the old lower earnings limit.

Does SSP now start from the first day of sickness?

Yes. For sickness beginning on or after 6 April 2026, the old waiting-period rules were removed. SSP is payable from the first full day of sickness that you would normally have worked.

Your employer pays SSP only for qualifying days, which are generally the days you normally work.

Special transitional rules apply to some sickness absences that began before 6 April 2026 and continued beyond that date, so an older absence should not automatically be calculated using the new rules from its original start date.

How much Statutory Sick Pay can you get?

For the 2026 to 2027 tax year, SSP is:

£123.25 a week or 80% of your normal weekly earnings, whichever is lower.

Your employer normally calculates your average weekly earnings using an 8-week period. You can still qualify if you recently started the job and do not yet have 8 weeks of pay history.

SSP is paid in the same way as your wages, for example weekly or monthly, and tax and National Insurance are deducted.

How long can SSP be paid?

SSP can normally be paid for up to 28 weeks.

Periods of sickness can sometimes be linked under the statutory rules when they occur close together. Linked periods can affect how the maximum SSP entitlement is calculated.

If your SSP is approaching its maximum while you remain unable to work, your employer has responsibilities to give you form SSP1 so you can consider other benefits.

When must you tell your employer you are sick?

To claim SSP, tell your employer that you are unable to work by the deadline in their sickness policy.

If your employer has not set a deadline, you must normally tell them within 7 days.

Your employer cannot insist that notification must be made in person or on one particular form. However, failing to notify them on time without a good reason can mean SSP is not payable for days before proper notification.

Do you need a fit note for the first 7 days?

No. If you are off sick for 7 calendar days or less, you do not normally need medical evidence from a healthcare professional.

You can self-certify your sickness. Your employer may ask you to confirm the dates and reason for the absence when you return to work or through its own sickness procedure.

You can also use the official SC2 employee statement of sickness. SC2 asks for information including your National Insurance number, sickness dates, last working day and payroll or clock number where applicable. After completing it, give it to your employer and keep a copy.

When do you need to provide a fit note?

Your employer can require a fit note, sometimes called a sick note, if you have been ill for more than 7 days in a row.

The 7 days include days you do not normally work, such as weekends and bank holidays.

A fit note can be printed or digital.

Who can issue a fit note?

A fit note can be issued after an assessment by one of these authorised healthcare professionals:

• a GP or hospital doctor;
• a registered nurse;
• an occupational therapist;
• a pharmacist; or
• a physiotherapist.

The professional needs to assess how your health condition affects your fitness for work before issuing the note.

Does a fit note cost money?

A fit note is free if you have been ill for more than 7 calendar days when you ask for it.

If an employer asks you for medical evidence during the first 7 days, a healthcare professional may charge for providing it. Official fit note guidance says that cost should be covered by the employer.

What does 'not fit for work' mean?

If the healthcare professional selects not fit for work, their assessment is that your health condition prevents you from working for the period covered by the note.

Give the fit note to your employer in accordance with its sickness procedure.

What if the fit note says 'may be fit for work'?

A healthcare professional can indicate that you may be fit for work if changes could help you return.

You and your employer should discuss appropriate changes. Depending on the advice and your job, these could include different duties, different working hours, workplace adaptations or a phased return.

If you and your employer cannot agree changes that make a return possible, GOV.UK says you must be treated as not fit for work. You do not need a replacement fit note simply because the suggested changes cannot be agreed.

Can your employer stop SSP because your fit note is late?

No. Government employer guidance states that an employer cannot withhold SSP solely because you are late providing a fit note.

This is different from failing to notify the employer about the sickness itself by the applicable notification deadline, which can affect SSP for days before notification.

Can you get SSP from more than one employer?

Yes. If you have more than one job, you may qualify for SSP from each employer independently.

You might also be incapable of doing one job while remaining fit for another. For example, a health condition could prevent physical work without preventing a separate office-based role.

What if your employer has its own sick pay scheme?

Your employment contract may provide contractual or occupational sick pay that is more generous than SSP.

An employer can pay more than the statutory entitlement but cannot use a company scheme to provide less than the minimum SSP to which you are entitled.

Check your employment contract and workplace sickness policy as well as the statutory rules.

Do you still build up holiday while off sick?

Yes. Statutory holiday entitlement continues to accrue while you are off sick, regardless of how long the sickness absence lasts.

Unused statutory holiday that could not be taken because of illness can also be carried over subject to the applicable holiday rules.

What is form SSP1 and when should you receive it?

SSP1 is the form an employer gives you when you are not entitled to SSP or when your SSP is ending. It can support an application for other benefits.

If you do not qualify for SSP, your employer must normally send you SSP1 within 7 days of your first day off sick.

If SSP ends unexpectedly while you are still sick, your employer must normally provide SSP1 within 7 days of it ending.

If your employer knows your SSP will end before your sickness does, it must give you the form on or before the beginning of the 23rd week of sickness.

What can you claim if SSP is unavailable or ends?

If you do not qualify for SSP, or your entitlement reaches its maximum while you are still unable to work, GOV.UK says you may be able to apply for Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

Form SSP1 can be used as supporting evidence when applying for benefit.

If Universal Credit may be relevant to your circumstances, see Helpydo's guide to claiming Universal Credit.

What if your employer says you cannot get SSP?

Ask your employer why they believe you are not entitled and request the appropriate SSP1 if they refuse payment.

If you think their decision is wrong, discuss it with them first. If the issue remains unresolved, GOV.UK directs employees to the HMRC Statutory Payment Disputes Team.

You can also contact HMRC if you believe the amount of SSP paid is incorrect.

When might SSP not be available?

You will not qualify in some circumstances. These include where you:

• have already received the maximum 28 weeks of SSP;
• are receiving Statutory Maternity Pay;
• fall within one of the specific statutory exclusions applying to pregnancy, certain benefits, custody, industrial action or employment arrangements; or
• do not otherwise meet the SSP employment and sickness conditions.

Special rules exist for some categories of worker, including agency workers, company directors, educational workers and certain agricultural workers.

What if your sickness started before 6 April 2026?

The SSP system changed on 6 April 2026. The new day-one entitlement and removal of the lower earnings limit apply to sickness absences beginning on or after that date.

If your sickness began before 6 April 2026 and continued after that date, transitional rules can apply. HMRC has separate guidance for these cross-over absences, so do not assume every day of a pre-April absence is recalculated under the new rules.

Common SSP and fit note mistakes to avoid

• Waiting for a fit note before telling your employer you are sick.
• Missing your employer's sickness-notification deadline without good reason.
• Paying for unnecessary medical evidence during the first 7 days when self-certification is sufficient.
• Counting only working days when deciding whether the absence has exceeded 7 days; weekends and bank holidays count for the fit note threshold.
• Assuming the old 3 waiting days still apply to sickness starting after 6 April 2026.
• Assuming low earnings automatically prevent SSP after the April 2026 reforms.
• Ignoring recommendations on a 'may be fit for work' note instead of discussing possible adjustments.
• Failing to ask for SSP1 when SSP is refused or approaching its maximum.

What should you do when you become too ill to work?

Tell your employer promptly and follow its sickness-reporting procedure. For an absence of 7 calendar days or less, self-certify as required. If the absence continues for more than 7 days, obtain a fit note from an authorised healthcare professional and give it to your employer.

Check your payslip against the current entitlement: for sickness starting on or after 6 April 2026, eligible employees receive SSP from the first full qualifying day at £123.25 a week or 80% of normal weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for up to 28 weeks.

If SSP is refused or ends while you remain sick, obtain SSP1 promptly and check whether another benefit is available.