Reminder – Statutory Rates increases from today! 

Statutory sick pay (SSP)

From 6 April 2026, SSP will rise from £118.75 to £123.25 per week and will be payable from day one of sickness at a rate of the lower of either the weekly rate or 80% of weekly earnings.

Statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and parental bereavement pay

From 6 April 2026, statutory maternity pay, paternity pay, adoption pay, shared parental pay, and parental bereavement pay will rise from £187.18 to £194.32 per week and paternity leave and unpaid parental leave will become a day one right.

Paternity pay will continue to require 26 weeks’ continuous service.

National minimum wage

From 1 April 2026, the following national minimum wages will apply:

·        National living wage (age 21 or over) will rise from £12.21 to £12.71 per hour.

·        National minimum wage (age 18-20) will rise from £10.00 to £10.85 per hour.

·        National minimum wage (age 16-17 and apprentices) will rise from £7.55 to £8.00 per hour.

From 7 April 2026, the Fair Work Agency will be formally established and will become the single state enforcement power in areas such as national minimum wage enforcement, as well as other areas in the future.

Statutory redundancy/unfair dismissal basic award calculation

From 6 April 2026, the cap on a week’s pay for calculation, will increase from £719 to £751.

Unfair dismissal – Compensatory award

From 6th April 2026 the cap on the compensatory award for unfair dismissal at the employment tribunal will increase from £118,223 to £123,543.