Amid ongoing debates about the UK’s Statutory Sick Pay system, recent recommendations for reform aim to better support workers in need.
- The Work and Pensions Committee has proposed significant changes to the Statutory Sick Pay system to enhance its flexibility.
- Key recommendations include abolishing the lower earnings limit and increasing the SSP rate for fairer income protection.
- The CIPD highlights the importance of aligning SSP reforms with broader work and health policies to ensure comprehensive worker support.
- These proposed changes are critical in addressing the challenges around sickness rates and economic inactivity in the UK.
The UK’s Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) system has long faced criticism for failing to provide adequate income protection for workers unable to work due to illness or injury. The recent report from the Work and Pensions Committee puts forward several recommendations to address these shortcomings. The report suggests removing the lower earnings limit and increasing the SSP rate to offer more equitable support for workers across income levels.
One of the major recommendations is to increase the flexibility of SSP by allowing part-time payments. This modification is intended to facilitate phased returns to work, particularly for individuals with long-term health conditions. The CIPD, a leading body in HR and people development, has expressed strong support for these recommendations, emphasising their potential to significantly improve the return-to-work process for affected individuals.
CIPD’s Senior Policy Adviser, Rachel Suff, remarked on the broken nature of the current SSP system, underscoring the critical need for reform. She supports the extension of SSP eligibility and the adjustments to payment structures, which could make a meaningful difference in how workers are supported during sickness.
Furthermore, there is a call for a deeper review of SSP to explore other aspects that could benefit from reform. These include improvements in access to quality occupational health services, particularly for smaller firms and self-employed individuals. Aligning SSP reform with other health and work policies could enhance the comprehensive support available to workers.
This step is seen as part of a broader initiative to tackle the UK’s issues with sickness absences and economic inactivity. It includes addressing the root causes of work-related stress and ensuring early interventions to prevent minor health issues from becoming significant problems.
The CIPD’s support for SSP reform highlights the critical need for policies that effectively protect and support workers’ well-being and economic stability.
