The law requires you to pay SSP to all employees who are ill and qualify for this payment.

Sage 50 Payroll simplifies processing sick pay by calculating SSP values for you.

SSP changed on 6 April 2026. To find out more about the changes, visit the changes to Statutory Sick Pay from 6 April 2026 article.

Before you start, check that your employee's qualifying day pattern is correct. For help with doing this, follow the holiday and absence qualifying day patterns article.

Enter the absence details

When you need to enter SSP for an employee, set it up in Enter Payments.

1. Select the relevant employee on your employee list, then select Payroll.
2. Select Enter Payments then go to the SSP / Parental Leave tab.
3. Click and drag to select the date range for the SSP.
4. Right-click one of the dates you selected to open the menu.
5. Select SSP then Due to sickness.
6. If applicable, enter a comment, then select OK.
7. Check that the absence diary displays the correct characters for the dates you entered.
8. If the characters are incorrect, you need to change the qualifying day pattern.
9. Check that the S.S.P. Payable box displays the correct amount of SSP for the current pay period.
   • In line with HMRC requirements, your software calculates SSP up to and including the process date
10. Check that the S.S.P. Weeks box displays the correct number of weeks.
11. Click Recording S.S.P, then click No.
12. Click Earnings during set period, then OK.
13. Check the payment information.
    • When you update records, your software updates the diary with the payments up to the process date 
14. Click OK, then Save.
15. Click Close.

You're now ready to continue processing your payroll. If required, you can adjust normal payments to accommodate statutory pay.

Further information

If required, you can also remove absence entries from the employee record.

SSP limit

Your software automatically calculates any SSP due based on the sickness absences you enter. The maximum duration for SSP payments is 28 weeks. Your software automatically stops calculating SSP if an employee reaches this limit.

If an employee reaches this stage and they aren't due any other payments, place them on hold. For help with doing this, follow the set whether an employee is on hold article.

Part worked day

If an employee works part of their shift then goes home sick, they're not eligible for statutory sick pay. To find out more, go to Gov.UK.

Although statutory sick pay isn't due for a part-worked day, you can choose whether to record the absence in Sage 50 Payroll. To do this, you can set up and use custom absence types.