SSP 2026: Increase from 6 April
How much is SSP 2026 a week? From 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay rate (SSP) increases to £123.25 per week. The £123.25 figure is the maximum weekly amount payable. SSP is calculated as the lower of 80% of the employee’s Average Weekly Earnings or the flat statutory rate. Average Weekly Earnings are […]
Youth Mobility Scheme Ballot: 2026 Dates
Who the February 2026 ballot applies to The February 2026 Youth Mobility ballot is open only to Hong Kong SAR Chinese passport holders and Taiwanese nationals aged between 18 and 30. Age is assessed at the date you submit your visa application, not the date you enter the ballot. Applicants who turn 31 […]
Employment Case Law Update January 2026
Employment Rights Act 2025: January 2026 update By January 2026, the Employment Rights Act 2025 was on the statute book, but most substantive reforms had not yet come into force and remained subject to commencement regulations, secondary legislation and statutory Codes. Some clarity had emerged on changes due to take effect in early […]
Trade Union Law Changes from 18 February 2026
Changes to trade union rules under the Employment Rights Act 2025 The Employment Rights Act 2025 removes a number of statutory constraints that previously limited lawful industrial action. Most significantly, it repeals the minimum service level regime introduced under the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023. From 18 February 2026, employers in affected […]
Statutory & Minimum Wage Rates April 2026
April 2026 statutory and wage rates at a glance Payment or rate Current rate Rate from April 2026 Effective date Statutory Sick Pay £118.75 per week £123.25 per week 6 April 2026 Statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, parental bereavement, neonatal care pay and maternity allowance £187.18 per week £194.32 per week […]
Home Office Warning to EU Settlement Scheme Status Holders
Home Office warning The Home Office is advising all EU Settlement Scheme status holders to ensure that their UKVI account details are accurate and up to date. This includes checking that the passport or identity document linked to their digital status is the same document they intend to use for travel. The warning […]
UK Entry Requirements for British Citizens 2026
Section A: UK entry requirements for British citizens in 2026 British citizens continue to have an automatic right to enter the UK, but the way that right operates in practice has changed. UK border controls are now far more proof-driven and are increasingly applied before travel takes place, rather than on arrival. From […]
Home Office to Reform UK Immigration & Asylum Appeals
Proposals to reform UK immigration & asylum appeals system The proposal is to abolish the current First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) as the primary forum for asylum and immigration appeals and to replace it with a new appeals body. The new body would hear asylum appeals and, according to the Home Secretary’s […]
Paternity Leave 2026 Reforms: HR Risks
What Changes Under the 2026 Regulations and When They Apply Under the Employment Rights Act 2025 (Parental and Paternity Leave) (Removal of Qualifying Periods etc.) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026, qualifying service requirements that previously applied to statutory paternity leave and unpaid parental leave are being removed. The changes take effect in stages. From […]
Zero-Hour Contract Changes 2026
What changed to zero-hours working rules in January 2026 Two linked changes came into force on 6 January 2026 under the Employment Rights Act 2025 and the first commencement regulations. First, the Workers (Predictable Terms and Conditions) Act 2023 was repealed. That removes a statutory framework that many employers had only recently factored […]