Posted on February 13th, 2026.

Feeling unwell is draining enough without money worries joining in. Your energy drops, your focus shifts to recovery, yet the direct debits still leave your account as usual.

Mortgages, rent, council tax and utilities do not wait patiently while you get better. Now set that reality against roughly £118.75 a week in Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in February 2026, rising only slightly in April, and the gap between what comes in and what goes out starts to look very real.

Most employees quietly assume “the state will sort it” if they are off sick for a while. In truth, SSP is only intended as a basic safety net, not a full replacement for your income. For a typical household in Coventry, where an average mortgage payment plus everyday bills quickly climbs far beyond that weekly SSP amount, relying on state support alone would mean cutting right back, very quickly. For many families, that would not just be uncomfortable; it would be unsustainable.

This is where planning ahead matters. Understanding what SSP does and does not cover and how products like income protection fit in gives you options before illness hits. Instead of scrambling to cover a Coventry mortgage on £118.75 a week, you can create a realistic backup plan that keeps your home secure while you focus on getting well.

Understanding Statutory Sick Pay and Eligibility

Statutory Sick Pay is paid by your employer when you are too ill to work, as long as you meet certain conditions. You must be classed as an employee, earn at least the lower earnings limit, and be off sick for at least four consecutive qualifying days. You also need to follow your employer’s sickness reporting process and, if you are off for longer, provide a fit note from a health professional.

SSP currently sits at around £118.75 a week in February 2026, with only a modest increase due in April. On paper, having something rather than nothing sounds reassuring, but the reality is harsh: this is a flat amount, not a percentage of your wage. If you are used to a regular salary, the drop can be dramatic from the very first full month off work.

Many people only discover the limitations of SSP when they are already unwell. Self-employed workers do not qualify for it at all, and those on very low or irregular hours can fall short of the earnings threshold. Even where you do qualify, SSP usually lasts for a maximum of 28 weeks. After that, the responsibility for income support largely shifts away from your employer and towards the wider benefits system, which can be even less generous and more complex to access.

It helps to think ahead about whether SSP alone could realistically support your household. Consider what it means in practice: £118.75 a week to cover food, fuel, council tax, transport and, crucially, housing costs. In Coventry, most mortgage payments plus essential bills come in well above that figure. The numbers simply do not add up for long.

Some useful questions to ask yourself now include:

• Would your current savings cover more than one or two months of full outgoings?
• Does your employer offer any enhanced company sick pay beyond SSP?
• How long could your household keep going if your income dropped to SSP level?
• Who else relies on your income to keep a roof over their head?

If the honest answers leave you feeling exposed, you are not alone. Most employees overestimate how far state support stretches and underestimate how quickly a reduced income would affect their home. Recognising that gap early is the first step towards putting proper protection in place.

Managing Housing Costs on a Reduced Income

Mortgage payments are often a household’s largest single outgoing, and they continue regardless of how you feel. When your income drops to SSP levels, the pressure on your budget can be immediate. In and around Coventry, typical mortgage payments plus utilities, council tax and basic living costs quickly reach levels that bear no resemblance to £118.75 a week. That shortfall has to come from somewhere.

If illness forces you onto SSP, your first move should be early, honest communication with your lender. Most lenders would rather work with you than see you slide into arrears. They may be able to offer short-term options such as switching to interest-only payments, extending the mortgage term to lower monthly costs, or agreeing to a temporary payment holiday. None of these are magic fixes, but they can create breathing space while you recover.

Alongside lender discussions, your household budget will almost certainly need reshaping. Fixed costs like mortgage and council tax are hard to adjust, but other categories can often be tightened. This is not about cutting every comfort forever; it is about creating a clear, realistic plan for a period of reduced income so that your home stays secure.

When reworking your budget on SSP, it can help to:

• Separate essential spending (mortgage, utilities, food, transport) from non-essential costs
• Review subscriptions, memberships and contracts that could be paused or cancelled
• Shop around for better deals on energy, broadband and insurance
• Use a budgeting app or simple spreadsheet to track every pound for a few months

In some cases, you may also be entitled to additional support, particularly if your illness is long-term. That might include certain benefits, council tax support or help with energy costs. These schemes can be complicated and slow to access, which is another reason why relying on state support as your only backup can feel stressful rather than reassuring.

The broader point is simple: SSP is not built to shoulder a Coventry-sized mortgage plus household bills on its own. If your plan for ill health starts and ends with “the state will help”, there is a real risk of financial strain just when you are least able to cope with it. That is where income protection and other insurance solutions can help close the gap.

Income Protection and Insurance Solutions

Income protection insurance is designed to replace a proportion of your earnings if you are unable to work due to illness or injury. Instead of a flat figure like SSP, it usually pays a percentage of your pre-tax income, often up to around 60–70%, until you are well enough to return to work or until the end of the policy term. For someone with a mortgage and regular commitments, that difference in scale compared to £118.75 a week can be significant.

Critical illness cover works differently. Rather than paying a regular income, it provides a one-off lump sum if you are diagnosed with one of the specific serious conditions listed in the policy, such as certain cancers, heart attacks or strokes. That lump sum can be used to clear or reduce a mortgage, fund adaptations to your home, or cover treatment and recovery costs. It is powerful, but it does not replace a month-by-month wage.

For many people, a blend of solutions offers the strongest safety net. Income protection can provide ongoing support with day-to-day bills and mortgage payments, while critical illness cover can help with major one-off costs if something severe happens. The exact mix depends on your age, health, job, existing sick pay, family situation and how long you could manage on savings.

When thinking about income protection for mortgage security, it is worth considering:

• How long your employer pays enhanced sick pay before dropping to SSP
• How long you could comfortably live on savings and reduced income
• What proportion of your salary you would need to keep your home secure
• Whether you want short-term cover (for a few years) or long-term cover (to retirement)

Most policies allow you to choose a “deferred period” (for example, 4, 13 or 26 weeks) before payments start. Setting this to line up with any sick pay from your employer can keep premiums more manageable while still protecting you once that company support ends. Policies can also be tailored to your occupation and budget, so this does not have to be an all-or-nothing decision.

Stepping back, the key question is quite a simple one: could your household genuinely cope if your income fell to around £118.75 a week for several months, when your Coventry mortgage and bills keep rolling in as usual? If the answer is no, then it makes sense to explore how income protection and related cover could support you. The aim is not to frighten you but to show that there are practical tools that can prevent a health problem from becoming a housing problem too.

Related: 2026 Homebuying Roadmap: Mortgage Tips for Coventry Buyers

Protect Your Income, Protect Your Home

Most people hope they will never need to think about SSP, let alone test whether they could keep up a mortgage on £118.75 a week. Yet planning for that “what if” moment is one of the most constructive things you can do for your household.

At GS Mortgage and Protection Solutions, we help you look calmly at the numbers, compare your current safety nets with your actual outgoings, and identify where income protection or critical illness cover could make the difference.

We take the time to understand your mortgage commitments, employer sick pay, savings and family situation, then recommend protection options that fit both your risks and your budget. Whether you are just starting out with a new mortgage in Coventry or have been a homeowner for years, we can show you how to structure cover so that, if illness does strike, your home is not automatically at risk.

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For additional assistance and a free consultation, feel free to reach out at +07867 388403.