UK · 2026/27 rates

UK Leave & Pay Calculators

Clear, free tools for holiday entitlement, annual leave, holiday pay, Statutory Sick Pay, maternity pay and redundancy. Each calculator explains the inputs, shows the working and identifies the statutory rate or rule behind the result.

Quick answer: Most workers are entitled to at least 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave. From 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay is payable from the first full day of sickness at the lower of 80% of average weekly earnings or £123.25 a week. Statutory Maternity Pay is normally paid for up to 39 weeks: 90% of average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then £194.32 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for the next 33 weeks. Statutory redundancy uses a weekly-pay cap of £751 in Great Britain and £783 in Northern Ireland for dismissals on or after 6 April 2026.
Primary authorities: GOV.UK, legislation.gov.uk & NI Department for the Economy • Checked

UK statutory leave and pay: 2026/27 at a glance

These are the numbers most people are looking for. The calculator pages add eligibility tests, working-pattern rules, dates and worked examples.

Paid annual leave
5.6 weeks
Usually 28 days for someone working 5 days a week. A 28-day statutory cap applies to the standard days-per-week calculation.
Statutory Sick Pay
Lower of 80% AWE or £123.25/wk
From the first full day of sickness for eligible employees from 6 April 2026.
Statutory Maternity Pay
90% × 6 wks, then up to £194.32
Next 33 weeks are £194.32 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
Redundancy weekly cap
GB £751 · NI £783
Maximum statutory redundancy: £22,530 in Great Britain and £23,490 in Northern Ireland.
Important UK distinction: not every employment-law calculation is identical across all four nations. Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland have separate employment-law frameworks in some areas, including different statutory redundancy weekly-pay caps. This hub flags those differences rather than presenting a single “UK” number where that would be misleading.

Which calculator should I use?

Two terms that sound similar can answer different questions. Use this shortcut to avoid putting the right numbers into the wrong tool.

“How much holiday should I get?”

Use the Holiday Entitlement Calculator to establish the statutory leave amount.

“How many days or hours have I built up?”

Use the Annual Leave Calculator for dates, pro-rating and a working pattern.

“How much should I be paid while off sick?”

Use the Statutory Sick Pay Calculator, especially for absences beginning on or after 6 April 2026.

“What is my legal redundancy minimum?”

Use the Redundancy Pay Calculator and select the correct jurisdiction because the GB and NI caps differ.

Great Britain vs Northern Ireland: what is the same and what differs?

“UK employment law” is useful shorthand, but it can hide jurisdiction-specific rules. This table keeps the main 2026/27 distinctions visible.

Comparison of selected leave and statutory pay rules in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for 2026/27
TopicGreat BritainNorthern IrelandPractical point
Minimum paid annual leave 5.6 weeks 5.6 weeks The minimum headline entitlement is the same, but the underlying working-time legislation is not identical.
Statutory Sick Pay from 6 Apr 2026 Lower of 80% AWE or £123.25/week; first full sickness day Lower of 80% AWE or £123.25/week; first full sickness day The 2026 SSP reform applies across the UK.
Statutory Maternity Pay standard rate £194.32 or 90% AWE, whichever is lower £194.32 or 90% AWE, whichever is lower This follows the first 6 weeks at 90% of average weekly earnings.
Redundancy weekly-pay cap £751 £783 This changes the maximum statutory redundancy amount: £22,530 in GB vs £23,490 in NI.

How the main UK calculations work

A calculator is more useful when you can audit the result. That is why our UK tools show the method as well as the answer. The simplified formulas below explain the starting point; each calculator then deals with the dates, rounding and eligibility rules that can change the final figure.

Regular hours

Basic holiday entitlement

days worked per week × 5.6

Example: 5 days × 5.6 = 28 days. For the standard days-per-week calculation, statutory leave is capped at 28 days.

Great Britain

Irregular-hours / part-year accrual

hours worked in pay period × 12.07%

For qualifying irregular-hours and part-year workers in GB leave years covered by the post-April-2024 method. Do not automatically apply this GB rule to NI cases.

From 6 Apr 2026

Statutory Sick Pay weekly rate

min(80% × average weekly earnings, £123.25)

The reform removed the lower earnings requirement and waiting days for new absences under the new rules.

What “statutory minimum” means in practice

These calculators are designed around legal minimums and statutory payment rules. Your employment contract can be more generous. An employer may provide extra annual leave, enhanced sick pay, enhanced maternity or paternity pay, or a contractual redundancy package that is worth more than the statutory calculation.

That means a result can be legally useful without being the whole story. Compare the statutory estimate with your contract, staff handbook, payslip and any employer policy that applies to you. Where your contract gives you more, the extra contractual entitlement may sit on top of the statutory floor.

Employment status matters too. Paid annual leave rights generally attach to people classed as workers, while Statutory Sick Pay and several family-related statutory payments use their own employee and eligibility tests. Genuinely self-employed contractors do not usually receive the same statutory employment rights.

What changed in 2026?

The changes below materially affect calculations, so they are built into the relevant pages rather than buried in a general update note.

6 Apr 2026

SSP moved to day-one payment

The waiting period was removed for the new regime. SSP is payable from the first full day of sickness absence for eligible employees.

GOV.UK / HMRC
6 Apr 2026

SSP became a lower-of calculation

The weekly amount is the lower of 80% of average weekly earnings and the £123.25 weekly flat-rate ceiling. The lower earnings requirement was removed.

GOV.UK / HMRC
5–6 Apr 2026

Family-pay standard rate rose to £194.32

The 2026/27 standard rate applies to maternity and the other listed statutory family-pay schemes, subject to the relevant 90%-of-earnings comparison.

GOV.UK
6 Apr 2026

Redundancy caps increased — but not to one UK-wide number

The Great Britain cap rose to £751 per week. Northern Ireland separately increased its cap to £783 per week.

GOV.UK / DfE NI
6 Apr 2026

Holiday records: six-year retention requirement in Great Britain

GB employers must keep detailed annual-leave and holiday-pay records for at least six years under the 2026 rules.

GOV.UK

UK leave calculator FAQs

Short answers to the questions that most often cause confusion when people compare statutory leave and pay.

Is Statutory Sick Pay £123.25 a week for everyone?

No. For sickness absences under the rules from 6 April 2026, SSP is the lower of 80% of average weekly earnings or £123.25 a week. A lower-paid eligible employee can therefore receive less than £123.25.

Is SSP now paid from the first day?

From 6 April 2026, the new SSP regime pays from the first full day of sickness absence for eligible employees. Transitional rules can matter where an absence began before 6 April 2026.

Do UK workers still get 5.6 weeks of statutory holiday?

Yes. The headline statutory minimum is 5.6 weeks of paid annual leave. For a regular 5-day week that is usually 28 days. Part-time, irregular-hours and part-year calculations depend on the working pattern and jurisdiction.

Is the redundancy cap £751 everywhere in the UK?

No. For dismissals on or after 6 April 2026, the weekly-pay cap is £751 in Great Britain and £783 in Northern Ireland. That makes the maximum statutory redundancy payment £22,530 in GB and £23,490 in NI.

What is the 2026/27 Statutory Maternity Pay rate?

SMP is normally paid for up to 39 weeks: 90% of average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for the next 33 weeks.

Do bank holidays have to be additional to the 5.6 weeks?

Not necessarily. An employer can include bank or public holidays within the statutory annual-leave entitlement, depending on the employment terms and the applicable rules.

Do part-time employees get less holiday?

They get the same statutory entitlement in weeks, but the number of days or hours is normally pro-rated to their working pattern. For example, someone working 3 regular days a week would usually receive 16.8 days under the basic 5.6-times calculation.

What if my employer offers more than the statutory amount?

Your contractual scheme may be more generous. Use the calculator to understand the statutory baseline, then compare it with your contract, staff handbook or employer policy.

Primary authorities checked for this page

GOV.UK — Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 GOV.UK / HMRC — SSP changes from 6 April 2026 GOV.UK — Holiday entitlement and holiday pay guidance GOV.UK — Redundancy payment limits for Great Britain NI Department for the Economy — 2026 redundancy limits nidirect — Holiday entitlement and redundancy pay in Northern Ireland
Rates and key rules checked for 2026/27

LeaveCalculators.com provides informational estimates, not legal, employment, tax or payroll advice. Eligibility and contractual rights can depend on facts that a calculator cannot fully assess.

Leave calculators for other countries

Use the country that matches the employment relationship. Statutory leave and pay rules are not interchangeable between jurisdictions.