Statutory Payment Rates 2026-27
The Government has published the statutory payment rates for maternity pay, paternity pay, shared parental pay, adoption pay and sick pay from April 2026.
Statutory Sick Pay
The rate of statutory sick pay will increase from £118.75 to £123.25 on 6 April 2026.
From 6 April 2026 the waiting days and Lower Earnings Limit will be removed. This means that all individuals will be entitled to receive the lower of the SSP weekly flat rate or 80% of average earnings from day one of sickness. More information is available here: Read more…
Family Leave and Pay
The standard weekly rate for all types of family related leave will increase from £187.18 to £194.32 on 6 April 2026.
Family Friendly leave includes: maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parenal, neonatal and parental bereavement.
Neonatal Leave and Parental Bereavement Leave
Neonatal Leave and Parental Bereavement Leave are relatively new entitlements. Please refer to ‘Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay’ and Neonatal Leave and Pay for more detailed information.
Lower Earnings Limit
The average gross weekly earnings required to qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay and these other family friendly payments will increase from £125 to £129.00 or more per week from 6th April 2026. The figures stated are the maximum payable (under statute) per week. If an employee earns less per week than the rate stated, then they should receive the lower amount equating to their actual earnings.
Reforms in the Employment Rights Bill mean the LEL will be removed for SSP from April 2026 onwards.
Maternity Allowance
Where an employee earns less than £125.00 per week on average, but was employed for 26 of the 66 previous weeks earning at least £30 per week (averaged over any 13 week period during the said 66 weeks), then they will be entitled to Maternity Allowance for 39 weeks of the smaller of £194.32 or 90 per cent of their average gross weekly earnings per week.
Statutory Guarantee Pay
The standard daily rate increased from £38 to £39 on 6 April 2025. (subject to a maximum of five days or £195 in any three months). No increase has been announced yet for April 2026.
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