Who is entitled to sick pay in the UK?

Since 6 April 2026, every employee in the UK qualifies for Statutory Sick Pay regardless of how much they earn, after the Lower Earnings Limit was removed as an eligibility test ^[1]. The change brought an estimated 1.3 million low-paid workers into entitlement for the first time, and payment now starts from the first qualifying day rather than the fourth ^[2].

Entitlement is no longer about a pay threshold, but conditions still apply. An employee has to be an employee, has to be off sick long enough to trigger a qualifying period, and has to notify the employer. This guide sets out who qualifies and the checks an employer must make before paying.

Key takeaways

• Every employee now qualifies for SSP regardless of earnings.
• The employee must be off sick for at least four consecutive days to form a Period of Incapacity for Work.
• SSP is paid from the first qualifying day, with no waiting days.
• The employee must notify the employer within any deadline the employer has set.
• Workers on zero-hours and short contracts can qualify, because the test is employment status, not earnings.

The conditions for sick pay entitlement

To receive SSP, an employee must meet three conditions. They must be classed as an employee and have done some work under their contract, must be off sick for at least four consecutive days including non-working days, and must tell the employer they are sick within any time limit the employer has set, or within seven days if none is set ^[1]. The earnings condition that used to apply has gone ^[2].

The four-day rule forms what is called a Period of Incapacity for Work, and it still has to be met before SSP is due ^[3]. What changed is that once the period is met, payment runs from the first qualifying day, so the absence is paid in full rather than from day four ^[4]. Most UK payroll software for SMEs checks these conditions automatically when an absence is recorded.

Which workers now qualify

The shift from an earnings test to an employment test widened the pool considerably. Zero-hours workers, agency workers and employees on short or variable contracts can all qualify, because entitlement turns on employment status and incapacity rather than on reaching a weekly pay figure ^[1]. Employees earning below the flat rate receive 80% of their average weekly earnings instead of the full £123.25 ^[4].

For employers with a mixed workforce, this means absence policies that once excluded the lowest earners now have to cover everyone, a shift detailed in this guide to the 2026 sick pay reform ^[2]. A platform that needs to apply UK eligibility rules inside its own product can use an HMRC-recognised payroll API so the test is applied consistently across every employment type ^[3].

Notification and evidence

An employee must tell the employer about their sickness within the employer's deadline, and an employer cannot insist on being told before the first qualifying day or require notice by a specific medical form ^[1]. For absences of more than seven days, the employer can ask for a fit note from a healthcare professional as evidence ^[3].

Notification matters because a late or missing notification can affect when SSP starts, even though the underlying entitlement remains ^[1]. Clear absence-reporting rules, set out in advance, give both sides certainty about what counts as proper notice ^[3]. Sole traders and occasional employers who only run pay now and then often use an instant payslip service that applies the correct SSP figure once eligibility is confirmed ^[4].

When entitlement is limited or ends

Even where an employee qualifies, entitlement is capped. SSP runs for a maximum of 28 weeks in a single Period of Incapacity for Work or a set of linked periods ^[3]. Periods of sickness that are eight weeks (56 days) or less apart link together and count as one towards that cap ^[5].

When SSP is about to run out and the employee is still sick, the employer issues form SSP1 so the employee can claim New Style Employment and Support Allowance ^[6]. Entitlement also ends if a continuous run of linked periods lasts more than three years, even where 28 weeks has not been paid ^[5]. Accountants tracking this across many clients usually rely on a payroll bureau platform that counts linked weeks and flags when SSP1 is due.

Conclusion

Sick pay entitlement in the UK has moved from a question of earnings to a question of employment. Almost every employee now qualifies, payment starts on the first qualifying day, and the conditions that remain are about employment status, the four-day rule and proper notification rather than a pay threshold ^[1].

For employers, the task is to apply those conditions cleanly and to remember that entitlement, while broad, is still capped at 28 weeks and still depends on the employee giving notice. Building absence policies around the wider entitlement is the surest way to stay aligned with how UK sick pay now works.

Frequently asked questions

Does an employee have to earn a minimum amount to get sick pay?

No. The Lower Earnings Limit was removed as an eligibility test on 6 April 2026, so every employee qualifies for SSP regardless of earnings ^[2]. Employees earning below the flat rate receive 80% of their average weekly earnings rather than the full £123.25 ^[4].

Are zero-hours workers entitled to sick pay?

Zero-hours workers can qualify for SSP, because entitlement is based on employment status and incapacity rather than on guaranteed hours or a minimum income ^[1]. They must still meet the four-day Period of Incapacity for Work and notify the employer in the usual way ^[3].

How long does an employee have to be off before sick pay applies?

An employee must be off sick for at least four consecutive days, including days they would not normally work, to form a Period of Incapacity for Work ^[3]. Once that condition is met, SSP is paid from the first qualifying day, because the three waiting days were abolished on 6 April 2026 ^[4].

When does sick pay entitlement run out?

SSP entitlement ends after 28 weeks in a single period or set of linked periods, or if a continuous run of linked periods lasts more than three years ^[5]. At that point the employer issues form SSP1 so the employee can claim Employment and Support Allowance ^[6].