The new financial year is upon us and as an employer it’s important to keep up to date with any rate changes so you can make sure you’re paying your employees correctly. Let’s start with the 2023/24 Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) rates.
So, what are the SSP rates for the new tax year? As of April 2023, the SSP rate will be £109.40 per week. This is an increase from the current rate of £99.35 per week, so it’s important to update your payroll systems to reflect this change.
The amount you must actually pay an employee for each day they’re off work on sick leave due to illness (the daily rate) depends on the number of ‘qualifying days’ they work each week. The daily rates are as follows:
| Unrounded daily rates | Number of qualifying days in a week |
|---|---|
| £15.6285 | 7 |
| £18.2333 | 6 |
| £21.88 | 5 |
| £27.35 | 4 |
| £36.4666 | 3 |
| £54.70 | 2 |
| £109.40 | 1 |
Now of course it is worth noting that not all employees will be eligible for SSP when they are sick. To qualify, they need to have been off work for at least 4 days in a row (including non-working days) due to illness, and they need to earn at least £123 per week—this is referred to as the lower earnings limit (LEL). You may also need to ask for evidence of their illness, such as a doctor’s note, before you can pay them SSP.
As an employer, it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re paying your employees the correct amount of SSP if they’re eligible. You should also make sure you have clear policies in place for how to claim SSP and communicate these to your employees. For more information on your obligations as an employer, check out Understanding Statutory Sick Pay.
It’s important to keep up to date with these changes so you can make sure you’re paying your employees correctly and supporting them in the best way possible. There are also other rate changes to be aware of such as parental pay, and the National Minimum Wage.
