Question 1

Does my sick pay entitlement depend on my pay band?

Accepted Answer

No. Under AfC, sick pay periods (months of full and half pay) are identical for every band. A Band 2 HCA and a Band 8c Manager with the same service length receive the same number of months. The cash amount differs because salaries differ.

Question 2

What is the SSP rate in 2026/27?

Accepted Answer

From 6 April 2026, SSP is £123.25 per week or 80% of normal weekly earnings — whichever is lower. This is up from £118.75 in 2025/26. The three-day waiting period no longer applies.

Question 3

Can I use annual leave while I am on sick pay?

Accepted Answer

If you are on sick leave and have already booked annual leave, you can usually cancel this leave. You cannot be forced to take annual leave instead of sick leave. Annual leave continues to accrue throughout your sick absence.

Question 4

How does previous sickness affect my current entitlement?

Accepted Answer

Your employer takes into account all periods of paid sickness absence during the 12 months immediately preceding the first day of a new episode of sickness and deducts this from your entitlement. The look-back window is a rolling 365 days, not the leave year.

Question 5

Does sick leave affect my NHS pension?

Accepted Answer

No. Pensionable service continues to build during sick leave. Contributions are deducted from actual pay received. Extended unpaid sick leave (after SSP ends) may affect pensionable service — check with NHS Pensions or your trust's pensions lead.

Question 6

What if I go off sick while on maternity leave?

Accepted Answer

Maternity leave and sick leave cannot run concurrently. If you become unwell before your maternity leave starts, your maternity leave is triggered automatically if the sickness is pregnancy-related (after the 36th week of pregnancy). Any pregnancy-related sickness before maternity leave is excluded from the rolling 12-month sick pay count.

Question 7

What should I do when my sick pay is about to run out?

Accepted Answer

Contact your Occupational Health team, line manager, and HR immediately — ideally before you enter the half-pay phase. Explore reasonable adjustments, phased return, redeployment, and if applicable, ill-health retirement through the NHS Pension Scheme. Contact DWP to check eligibility for Employment Support Allowance (ESA).

Question 8

How do I know what my reference period earnings are?

Accepted Answer

Your reference period is typically the 12 weeks before your absence starts (or the last 12 weeks you worked if on variable shifts). Check your three most recent payslips or ESR pay statements. Include regular unsocial hours payments — not overtime or one-off payments.

Blog

NHS Sick Pay Calculator: AfC Entitlement & Rolling Rules 2026/27

NHS Tax Calculator 2026/27: Take-Home Pay & Payslip Guide

NHS Pension Calculator 2026/27 | 2015 1995 Scheme McCloud

NHS Back Pay Calculator 2026 | Expected & August Back Pay

NHS Early Retirement Calculator 2026/27 | All Schemes Covered

NHS Overtime & Unsocial Hours Calculator 2026/27 & Guide

NHS Pay Rise 2026/27: New AfC Pay Scales & Salaries

NHS Redundancy Calculator 2026/27 | AfC vs Statutory Pay England

NHS Annual Leave Calculator 2026/27 | AfC Entitlement Pro-Rata Hours

NHS Maternity Pay Calculator 2026 | Occupational + Statutory SMP OMP

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