April has always been the month in which the majority of statutory payment rates are amended, but the Government recently decided that the annual uprating of a week’s pay and the maximum compensatory award for unfair dismissal, which historically have occurred in February, should also be moved to April.
The old and new rates of the affected payments are set out below.
Maximum amount of a week’s pay
1 February 2013 – 5 April 2014: £450
6 April 2014 – 5 April 2015: £464
Unfair dismissal maximum award
Dismissals 1 February 2013 – 5 April 2014: the lesser of 52 weeks’ basic pay and £74,200
Dismissals 6 April 2014 – 5 April 2015: the lesser of 52 weeks’ basic pay and £76,574
Statutory maternity pay (prescribed rate), statutory paternity pay and statutory adoption pay
7 April 2013 – 5 April 2014: £136.78
From 6 April 2014: £138.18
Statutory sick pay
6 April 2014 – 5 April 2015: £87.55
6 April 2013 – 5 April 2014: £86.70