Statutory Sick Pay is a payment made to employees when the are sick for more than three days in a row
More than one million people will be affected by a major government change starting this week. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) intends to bolster the rate of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), meaning some of the lowest earners will be up to £100 better off per week.
Right now, eligible individuals may receive £116.75 of SSP each week for up to 28 weeks of being too sick to work. To qualify, you must be classed as an employee, earning at least £123 per week, while also having been ill for more than three days in a row.
However, from April, SSP rates are set to increase to £118.75 per week. Around 1.3 million individuals on low wages will also receive either 80% of their average weekly earnings or this new rate when sick, too, depending on which is lowest.
The move comes as part of the government’s Plan for Change, which aims to ‘strike the right balance’ between providing financial security to people who fall ill and mitigating business costs. The World Bank has previously warned that economic growth will be impossible for the UK if productivity improvements do not occur.
Last month, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner MP said: “What we put into our workforce, we get back and more. That’s why we’re making Statutory Sick Pay a right for every worker for the first time so people can stay in work rather than risk dropping out.
“This is a pro-worker, pro-business government in action – boosting productivity while ensuring people don’t have to choose between health and wealth, helping deliver our Plan for Change.”
Meanwhile, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall MP said: “For too long, sick workers have had to decide between staying at home and losing a day’s pay or soldiering on at their own risk just to make ends meet.
“No one should ever have to choose between their health and earning a living, which is why we are making this landmark change. he new rate is good for workers and fair on businesses as part our plan to boost rights and Make Work Pay, while delivering our Plan for Change.”
Improvements to SSP were assisted by over 1,700 responses in a six-week consultation. This accounted for the views of workers, businesses, charities and unions.
In March, the DWP stated that a Legislative Consent Motion would be sought to mirror its SSP developments in Northern Ireland. Trades Union Congress (TUC) General Secretary Paul Nowak previously added: “Nobody should be plunged into hardship when they become ill. These reforms will stop millions from facing a financial cliff edge if they get sick.
“Making statutory sick pay available to all workers – and from day one – shows why the government’s Employment Rights Bill is so important. With sick pay rights from the first day of sickness, you will know that your family is protected.
“And you can take the time you need to recover. We hope this is the start of a programme of sick pay reform and will continue to make the case for higher future sick pay rates.”
Can I receive SSP?
Government guidance states that you must be classed as an employee, earning an average of at least £123 per week to qualify. You must also have been ill for more than three days in a row, including non-working days.
Usually, you must tell your employer you cannot work before the deadline they set too, or within seven days if they haven’t set one. If you are sick for longer than seven days, you must get a sick note from a GP, nurse, therapist, pharmacist or physiotherapist.
However, you will not be eligible in the following instances:
- You have received the maximum amount of SSP (28 weeks)
- You are receiving Statutory Maternity Pay
The government adds: “You can still qualify if you started your job recently and you have not received eight weeks’ pay yet. Ask your employer to find out more.”