Flu season: sick pay now starts from your first day off

What the latest UKHSA data show

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published its latest weekly winter virus surveillance data on 8 October 2026, covering the week 28 September to 4 October 2026. The figures set out where flu and COVID-19 stood as the winter illness season opened, and they come six months after a change to sick pay rules that affects what an employee receives when time off work is needed.

UKHSA says flu activity rose in that week and is at baseline levels. Flu positivity rose to 6.5%, from 5% the previous week. UKHSA says flu hospitalisations were 1.97 per 100,000. UKHSA says COVID-19 activity rose and is at low levels, with weekly positivity rising to 9.1% from 7.9%. Those are the headline numbers from the agency's weekly surveillance, and they describe the position for the week to 4 October 2026 rather than any later period.

Sick pay from the first day off

Changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) took effect on 6 April 2026, according to Acas. Since 6 April 2026 there are no waiting days: SSP is paid from the first full day of sickness absence. Before the change, SSP began only from the fourth working day. The practical effect is that SSP now covers the first full day off sick that would normally have been worked.

Since 6 April 2026 the Lower Earnings Limit no longer applies, so SSP is available to employees regardless of weekly earnings. Before the change, the limit was 125 pounds a week in 2025-26, according to the GOV.UK SSP factsheet. The GOV.UK SSP factsheet says up to 1.3 million employees earned below the Lower Earnings Limit and previously could not receive SSP. The earnings test that once excluded lower paid staff from the scheme has therefore been removed.

How much Statutory Sick Pay pays

GOV.UK says SSP is 123.25 pounds a week or 80% of normal weekly earnings, whichever is lower. GOV.UK says the employer uses average weekly earnings over an 8-week period. GOV.UK says SSP is paid for up to 28 weeks, through normal wages, with tax and National Insurance deducted. The weekly figure of 123.25 pounds is the statutory rate, and the 80% test means the lower amount applies where 80% of normal weekly earnings comes to less than 123.25 pounds.

GOV.UK says SSP is paid for all the full days off sick that would normally have been worked. GOV.UK says that to qualify a person must be classed as an employee, have done some work for the employer, and have been ill for at least one full working day. GOV.UK says an employer's own sick pay scheme can pay more than SSP, and that a person cannot get less than the statutory amount. Where a company scheme is more generous, the statutory figure acts as the floor rather than the ceiling.

Telling an employer and fit notes

GOV.UK says a person must usually tell their employer they are unable to work before the deadline the employer sets, or within 7 days if no deadline is set, and that some SSP could be lost if the employer is not told in time. The notification requirement sits with the employee, and the deadline is either the one the employer has set out or, where none exists, the 7 day default.

GOV.UK says a fit note is needed for more than 7 days off work in a row, including non-working days. GOV.UK says fit notes can come from a GP or hospital doctor, registered nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist or physiotherapist, and can be printed or digital. GOV.UK says that if an employer needs something in writing, form SC2 can be used. The 7 day threshold counts consecutive days, so weekends and rest days inside the absence are included in the total.

If the amount looks wrong

GOV.UK says that if the SSP amount or a decision not to pay looks wrong, the first step is to talk to the employer, and if that does not resolve it, to contact the HMRC Statutory Payment Disputes Team. The employer is the first point of contact, and the HMRC disputes team is the next step if that does not resolve it.

The rules described here come from GOV.UK and Acas, and the illness figures come from UKHSA. The UKHSA data cover the week 28 September to 4 October 2026 and were published on 8 October 2026. UKHSA says flu activity rose in that week and is at baseline levels, and that COVID-19 activity rose and is at low levels. The sick pay position is that SSP is 123.25 pounds a week or 80% of normal weekly earnings, whichever is lower, paid from the first full day off sick since 6 April 2026.

Source: UKHSA weekly winter virus surveillance data, 8 October 2026.

Related coverage on Kael Tripton: Statutory Sick Pay Explained: The New Day-One Rules, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) 2026: Rates, Eligibility and How to Claim, MPs Call for Universal Credit Boost as State Pension Age Rises to 67, Universal Credit Managed Migration Explained, Taking Sick Leave: The Rules on Reporting, Fit Notes and Your Rights.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Statutory Sick Pay?

GOV.UK says SSP is 123.25 pounds a week or 80% of normal weekly earnings, whichever is lower. GOV.UK says the employer uses average weekly earnings over an 8-week period, and that SSP is paid for up to 28 weeks, through normal wages, with tax and National Insurance deducted.

When does Statutory Sick Pay start?

Changes to SSP took effect on 6 April 2026, according to Acas. Since 6 April 2026 there are no waiting days: SSP is paid from the first full day of sickness absence. Before the change, SSP began only from the fourth working day.

Is there a minimum earnings level for Statutory Sick Pay?

Since 6 April 2026 the Lower Earnings Limit no longer applies, so SSP is available to employees regardless of weekly earnings. Before the change, the limit was 125 pounds a week in 2025-26, according to the GOV.UK SSP factsheet. The GOV.UK SSP factsheet says up to 1.3 million employees earned below the Lower Earnings Limit and previously could not receive SSP.

When is a fit note needed?

GOV.UK says a fit note is needed for more than 7 days off work in a row, including non-working days. GOV.UK says fit notes can come from a GP or hospital doctor, registered nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist or physiotherapist, and can be printed or digital. GOV.UK says that if an employer needs something in writing, form SC2 can be used.

What does UKHSA say about flu activity?

UKHSA says flu activity rose in the week 28 September to 4 October 2026 and is at baseline levels. UKHSA says flu positivity rose to 6.5%, from 5% the previous week, and that flu hospitalisations were 1.97 per 100,000. UKHSA says COVID-19 activity rose and is at low levels, with weekly positivity rising to 9.1% from 7.9%.