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.