Following the written ministerial statement published in November 2017 announcing the proposed new rates for statutory maternity pay (SMP), statutory adoption pay (SAP), statutory paternity pay (SPP), statutory shared parental pay (ShPP) and statutory sick pay (SSP) for tax year 2018/19, the government has now published the draft Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2018 which confirms the figures.
The standard weekly rates of SMP, SAP, SPP and ShPP will increase from £140.98 to £145.18 from 1 April 2018 and the weekly rate of SSP will increase from £89.35 to £92.05 from 6 April 2018.
The draft Social Security (Contributions) (Rates, Limits and Thresholds Amendments and National Insurance Funds Payments) Regulations 2018 confirms that the lower earnings limit, below which employees are not entitled to SMP, SAP, SPP, ShPP and SSP, will increase from £113.00 to £116.00 per week from 6 April 2018.