According to proposals set out in a government policy paper, the revised rates for statutory maternity pay (SMP), statutory adoption pay (SAP), statutory paternity pay (SPP), statutory shared parental pay (ShPP), statutory parental bereavement pay (SPBP) and statutory sick pay (SSP) for tax year 2021/22 are to be as follows:
- the standard weekly rates of SMP, SAP, SPP, ShPP and SPBP will increase from £151.20 to £151.97 (or 90% of the employee’s weekly earnings if that amount is lower than the statutory rate) – it is assumed this will be for payment weeks commencing on or after Sunday, 4 April 2021
- the prescribed weekly rate of maternity allowance (MA) will increase from £151.20 to £151.97 (or 90% of the individual’s weekly earnings if that amount is lower than the statutory rate)
- the weekly rate of SSP will increase from £95.85 to £96.35 from 6 April 2021.
The amount of the earnings threshold (currently £120.00 per week) for tax year 2021/22, below which employees do not qualify for SMP, SAP, SPP, ShPP, SPBP and SSP, is yet to be confirmed.