Overview
- The new Statutory Sick Pay rules, which took effect Monday, remove the three unpaid waiting days and the lower earnings limit.
- Payments are now set at the lower of £123.25 a week or 80% of a worker’s average earnings.
- Government figures point to millions gaining support, with about £400 million more paid out each year.
- Ministers say ending the £125-per-week threshold brings in low-paid and part-time staff, with around 1.3 million previously blocked from SSP.
- Transitional rules protect people whose sick leave began before April 6, 2026, so no one mid-claim loses out under the switch.