Calls for statutory sick pay to be increased

Stephen Timms MP, chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, said: “Statutory sick pay is failing in its primary purpose to act as a safety net for workers who most need financial help during illness. With the country continuing to face high rates of sickness absence, the Government can no longer afford to keep kicking the can down the road on reform.”

 The committee is made up of cross party MPs. They said that the UK is experiencing high rates of sickness absence and ill health, including high rates of mental health problems among young people, noting that 185.6 million working days were lost to sickness or injury in 2022. They say significant minority of employers only rely only on SSP, which isn’t nearly enough as occupational sick pay.

What’s more, is that not everyone is  entitled to SSP because they don’t earn enough, or because their period of sickness absence lasts fewer than four days. The committe finds this unfair, and something that adds to the problem of financial and economic risk.

The other group of people who don’t get any form of SSP are the self-employed.

The committee said: “We recognise that self-employed people cannot be made eligible for SSP, but we strongly believe the Government must do more to ensure they are no worse off financially during periods of sickness than employees on SSP.

“We therefore conclude that the Government should establish a contributory sick pay scheme for self-employed people to provide them with the same level of income protection as would be available under SSP.”

Research found in January revealed that 1.3 million people do not earn enough to qualify for SSP – and 70% are women.