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Employee’s Statutory Payments

Statutory pay

  • Payments may be required from an employer if an employee is not at work for a variety of reasons.
  • There are detailed conditions for an employee to qualify for any of these statutory payments.
  • Employees are only eligible for a statutory payment if they have sufficient average weekly earnings of at least the lower earnings limit.

Statutory Sick Pay

  • Payments may be required from an employer if an employee is too ill to work.
  • SSP is generally payable for a period up to 28 weeks.

Statutory Maternity Pay

  • Payments may be required from an employer when an employee takes time off to have a baby.
  • SMP is payable for a period up to 39 weeks.

Statutory Paternity Pay

  • Payments may be required from an employer when an employee takes time off during their partner’s Statutory Maternity Pay period.
  • Payment is for a period of either one or two complete weeks.

Shared Parental Pay

  • Payments may be required from an employer when an employee takes time off following the curtailment of the period of SMP by the mother.
  • Payment is for up to a maximum of 37 weeks and is dependent on the mother’s unused SMP period.

Statutory Adoption Pay

  • Payments may be required from an employer when an employee takes time off when they adopt a child.
  • Payment is for a period up to 39 weeks.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

  • Payments may be required from an employer when parents take time off following the death of a child or a stillbirth.
  • Payment is for up to a maximum of two weeks.

2026/27 Statutory pay rates –



average weekly earnings £129 or over
Statutory Sick Pay

lower of £123.25 or 80% of weekly earnings

Statutory Maternity Pay
First six weeks 90% of weekly earnings
Next 33 weeks £194.32
Statutory Paternity Pay – two weeks £194.32
Statutory Adoption Pay – 39 weeks
First six weeks 90% of weekly earnings
Next 33 weeks £194.32
Shared Parental Pay £194.32
Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay – two weeks £194.32

Statutory payments may be payable at 90%  (80% for sick pay) average weekly earnings throughout the payment period in certain circumstances. This applies where 90%/80% weekly earnings
are less than the standard rate.