Committees

Statutory Sick Pay

Inquiry

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is the basic minimum statutory payment an employee is entitled to for periods where they are unable to work because of illness. A person is eligible for SSP from the fourth day they are off sick. To be eligible for SSP a person must be classed as an employee and earn an average of at least £123 per week (the lower earnings limit). 

In 2019, the Government published Health is everyone’s business, a consultation on proposals to reduce ill health-related job loss.

In July 2021 the Government published its consultation outcome which concluded that the consultation posed “important questions on the future of SSP which require further consideration” and it was “not the right time to introduce changes to the sick pay system”.

The Work and Pensions Select Committee is conducting an inquiry looking into the current effectiveness of SSP in supporting claimants and if SSP should be reformed to better enable a recipient’s recovery and return to work.

Read the call for evidence for more detail about the inquiry.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was 11:59pm on 8 December 2023.

Upcoming events

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Past events

Wednesday 31 January 2024
9:25am Public
Statutory Sick Pay - Oral evidence 31 January 2024
9:25am
  • Rachel Suff (Senior Policy Adviser at Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development)
  • Rebecca Deegan (Head of Health and Protection Insurance at Association of British Insurers)
  • Tina McKenzie (UK Policy and Advocacy Chair at Federation of Small Businesses)
  • Mathew Akrigg (Policy and research officer at Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals)
10:25am
  • Jo Churchill (Minister for Employment at Department for Work and Pensions)
  • Lorraine Jackson (Director, Joint Work and Health Directorate at Department of Health and Social Care)
  • Sean Povey (Deputy Director, Fit Note and Statutory Sick Pay at Department of Health and Social Care)
Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Wednesday 17 January 2024
9:25am Public
Statutory Sick Pay - Oral evidence 17 January 2024
9:25am
  • Dr Gareth Millward (Assistant Professor at University of Southern Denmark)
  • Professor Matt Padley (Co-Director at Centre for Research in Social Policy, Loughborough University)
  • Professor Chris Rauh (Professor of Economics and Data Science at University of Cambridge)
10:25am
  • Nicola Smith (Head of Rights at Social and Economics, Trades Union Congress)
  • Amanda Walters (Director at Centre for Progressive Change)
  • Thomas Hamilton-Shaw (Policy Manager for Work and Welfare at Scope)
Room 5, Palace of Westminster

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