It is disappointing that the Government has decided not to progress with plans for reforming Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). The Government acknowledges that there is clear support for SSP reform. The pandemic has highlighted some of the key weaknesses in the SSP system: notably, SSP is not available to two million of the lowest paid workers, and people in precarious forms of work may be excluded from support. The Government has taken steps to support low paid workers affected by coronavirus— but t...

It is disappointing that the Government has decided not to progress with plans for reforming Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). The Government acknowledges that there is clear support for SSP reform. The pandemic has highlighted some of the key weaknesses in the SSP system: notably, SSP is not available to two million of the lowest paid workers, and people in precarious forms of work may be excluded from support. The Government has taken steps to support low paid workers affected by coronavirus— but these payments will be phased out, and they do not negate the need for long­ term reform of the SSP system, which the Government clearly recognised at the Type: recommendation | Number: 30 | Response status: under_consideration Government response: The Committee’s 2018 report on benefit sanctions recommended that certain groups of claimants in the Health Journey be exempt from conditionality and sanctions. In the Government’s response, the Department committed to explore a Proof of Concept (PoC) f