Statutory sick pay
[page 12]One of the most important changes that the Employment Rights Bill will bring about is the removal of the waiting days for statutory sick pay (SSP), so that employees will receive SSP from their first day of sickness instead of from day four. The TUC says this will benefit around 7 million workers.
The bill will also remove the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) that currently prevents workers who earn below the LEL of £123 from receiving SSP at all. In place of the LEL the bill provides that workers will receive either the full amount of SSP (currently £116.75 per week) or a percentage of their weekly earnings, whichever is lower. Government consultation on the amount of the percentage reduction to be applied to those earning less than SSP ran until 4 December 2024.
The Centre for Progressive Change and other campaigners as part of the Safe Sick Pay campaign have pointed out that the current level of SSP equates to around £3 an hour and leaves workers unable to afford basic living costs. They continue to campaign for the level of SSP to be increased, while welcoming the removal of the LEL and the waiting days.