Proposed statutory sick and family-related pay rates

The Government has now released the proposed new rates for statutory family-related pay and statutory sick pay, which are expected to take effect in April 2026.

Weekly payments for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP), Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP), Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP), Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (SNCP) and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (SPBP) are set to rise from £187.18 to £194.32.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will also increase next April, moving from £118.75 to £123.25 per week. As usual, the annual uplift is anticipated to take effect on 6 April.

The lower earnings limit (LEL)—the minimum weekly amount employees must earn to qualify for these statutory payments—will also rise, increasing from £125 to £129 per week. Employees earning below this threshold will not qualify for SMP, SPP, SAP, ShPP, SNCP or SPBP. However, it is expected that once the Employment Rights Bill becomes law, the LEL requirement for SSP will be removed from April 2026.

These figures are currently proposals, but they are typically accepted. Early publication of the rates gives organisations time to review their policies and prepare for the changes ahead of the new financial year.