# Statutory sick pay now paid from the first day of absence

> From 6 April 2026 SSP has no waiting days and no lower earnings limit. Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave became day one rights.

- Published: 7 Apr 2026
- Type: News
- Topic: Workforce
- For: Practice managers, PCN leads
- Applies to: UK-wide
- Review: Reviewed by the Abtrace team
- Web page: https://ontherecord.abtrace.com/posts/statutory-sick-pay-from-day-one/

## What's changed

- From 6 April 2026, statutory sick pay (SSP) is paid from the first day of sickness absence, not the fourth. The lower earnings limit has gone, so all eligible employees qualify whatever they earn.
- SSP is the lower of £123.25 a week or 80% of average weekly earnings.
- Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave are now available from the first day of employment. A new Bereaved Partner's Paternity Leave right also started on 6 April 2026.

## Who it affects

Every practice and PCN that employs staff. GOV.UK says the sick pay changes apply across the whole UK. Absences that began before 6 April 2026 follow the old rules.

## What to do

- Update your sickness absence policy to remove any wording about waiting days or earnings limits.
- Check with your payroll provider that SSP is now calculated from day one and at the right rate.
- Update your family leave policy and staff handbook so paternity and unpaid parental leave are open to new starters.
- Tell managers and staff about the changes.

## Sources

- [GOV.UK: Millions of workers get new access to sick pay and parental leave](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-workers-get-new-access-to-sick-pay-and-parental-leave)
- [Business.gov.uk: Statutory Sick Pay changes](https://www.business.gov.uk/campaign/employment-changes/employers/statutory-sick-pay/)

Published by Abtrace on On the Record (https://ontherecord.abtrace.com/). Summaries only; always check the linked source.