NHS sick pay calculator
Choose your band and length of service to see how long you would stay on full pay and half pay when off sick, and what you would be paid each week with Statutory Sick Pay.
Your details
Your entitlement: 6 months on full pay and 6 months on half pay. Time already taken in the last 12 months is deducted.
Your estimated sick pay
£24,235.40
total over a 52-week absence, before tax. Normal pay is £615.10 a week; Statutory Sick Pay is £123.25 a week.
| Stage | Per week | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Full payWeeks 1 to 26 | £615.10 | £15,992.60 |
| Half pay (plus SSP while payable)Weeks 27 to 52 | £430.80 then £307.55 | £8,242.80 |
| Total | £24,235.40 |
Notes and assumptions
- Entitlement is counted in whole weeks (a month is treated as about 4.3 weeks). Your trust's payroll applies the exact dates.
- Occupational sick pay is worked out on a rolling 12 months: paid sickness in the previous 12 months is deducted from your entitlement. Work-related injury and unpaid absence are treated differently and are not modelled.
- Half pay plus SSP, capped at full pay, is assumed. Confirm against Section 14 of the NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook.
- In England, unsocial hours payments are not paid during sickness for staff who started under the handbook on or after 1 July 2018 or whose basic pay is above £18,160, so enter basic pay (and HCAS) only.
- Amounts are before tax, National Insurance and pension.
How long is NHS sick pay?
| Length of NHS service | Full pay | Half pay |
|---|---|---|
| During the first year | 1 month | 2 months |
| During the second year | 2 months | 2 months |
| During the third year | 4 months | 4 months |
| During the fourth year | 5 months | 5 months |
| During the fifth year | 5 months | 5 months |
| After five years | 6 months | 6 months |
Your entitlement is worked out each time you are off sick, by taking away any paid sickness in the 12 months before the first day of the new absence. In your first year, half pay only starts once you have four months of service.
Sources
NHS sick pay questions
How long do you get sick pay in the NHS?
It depends on how long you have worked in the NHS. In your first year it is 1 month on full pay and 2 months on half pay. After five years it is 6 months on full pay and 6 months on half pay. Paid sickness in the 12 months before your absence started is taken off your entitlement.
How much is Statutory Sick Pay in 2026/27?
SSP is £123.25 a week, or 80% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower. Since 6 April 2026 it is paid from the first day you are off, with no lower earnings limit, for up to 28 weeks.
Is NHS sick pay paid on top of Statutory Sick Pay?
The two together should not come to more than your normal pay. Section 14 of the NHS Terms and Conditions Handbook sets out the detail, and your HR team can tell you how your trust applies it.
Do I still get unsocial hours pay when I am off sick?
In England, not if you started under the handbook on or after 1 July 2018 or your basic pay is above £18,160. Staff employed before that date with basic pay at or below £18,160 keep them. The calculator uses basic pay only, which matches the first case.