New Statutory Rates for Sick Pay from April 2018

The Government has published the statutory rates for sick pay, maternity pay, paternity pay, shared parental pay, adoption pay from April 2018.

The rate of statutory sick pay is increasing from £89.35 to £92.05. This increase is expected to occur on 6 April 2018. To be entitled to these statutory payments, the employee’s average earnings must be equal to or more than the lower earnings limit. The lower earnings limit is increasing from £113 to £116 in April 2018.

The current weekly rate of statutory maternity pay is £140.98, or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings if this figure is less than the statutory rate.
The rate of statutory maternity pay is rising to £145.18 from April 2018. The increase normally occurs on the first Sunday in April, which in 2018 is 1 April.

Also on 1 April 2018, the rates of statutory paternity pay and statutory shared parental pay will go up from £140.98 to £145.18 (or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings if this figure is less than the statutory rate).

The rate of statutory adoption pay will increase from £140.98 to £145.18.
This means that, from 1 April 2018, statutory adoption pay is payable at 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, with the remainder of the adoption pay period at the rate of £145.18, or 90% of average weekly earnings if this is less than £145.18.

The rates normally increase each April in line with the consumer price index (CPI).