Health charities and experts today raised concerns that plans to reform statutory sick pay contained within the employment bill published on Thursday 10 October, whilst very welcome, would still leave many workers struggling to afford essential bills.

The Safe Sick Pay campaign joined MIND, Young Lives vs Cancer and the Royal Society of Public Health in welcoming the plan to pay sick pay from day one, but said the bill did not go far enough to address the difficulties of working people reliant solely on statutory sick pay (SSP) if they are ill face.

Statutory sick pay (SSP) is paid to an estimated 7 million workers and is just £116.75 a week, or £3 an hour for a full time worker. It often leaves working people off from work for spells of illness unable to afford essential bills or falling into debt. 

The Safe Sick Pay campaign, now backed by over 100 organisations, is calling for a raise to SSP, alongside day one sick pay and scrapping the lower earnings limit.

A poll by Focaldata for the Safe Sick Pay campaign of 24,594 voters, conducted before the July election, found 77% of the public agreed the level of Statutory Sick Pay should be increased. 

Amanda Walters, Director of the Safe Sick Pay Campaign said: “The Government’s plan to extend statutory sick pay and make it payable from day one are very welcome, but they need to go further. The low rate of sick pay is fundamentally unsafe and jeopardises workers' recovery from illness.”

“The low rate of statutory sick pay and the harm this causes workers comes up time and time again in our research with low paid workers. The issue disproportionately affects women, ethnic minorities and younger workers, often in tough manual occupations like cleaning and care.”

William Roberts, Chief Executive of the Royal Society for Public Health said: “We know that too many people don’t take sick leave when they need it, either because they aren’t eligible for support, or can’t afford the financial hit that time off would mean. This means that we see diseases spreading within workplaces, and minor health problems left to worsen until people simply cannot continue to work – not only harming their wellbeing, but often forcing them out of work for extended periods of time. Reforming sick pay so that all workers – regardless of their status – are able to take time off when they need it would be a crucial first step to harnessing workplaces to boost the health of our nation”

Professor Matt Padley, Centre for Research in Social Policy, Loughborough University said: “In recent years we have seen a growth in the number of people really struggling to meet their most basic needs in the UK. This growth in destitution is unacceptable, so it is critically important that this legislation sets out some concrete measures to increase incomes, addressing the damage done through the cost of living crisis. 

“The longer that people are on statutory sick pay, for example, the bigger the financial shortfall becomes. Even being off work for a couple of weeks can cause significant shortfalls in income, with real consequences for living standards. It leaves workers potentially building up debts or running into serious financial hardship just to cover the cost of their basic material needs.”

Minesh Patel, Associate Director of Policy and Influencing for Mind, said: “The Employment Rights Bill provides a real opportunity for the government to reform statutory sick pay (SSP) and support more people with mental health problems to thrive in the workplace.

“The current rate of SSP is forcing people to choose between paying their bills and taking time off for their mental health. Increasing SSP and extending the length of time it’s paid would enable more people with a mental health problem to stay in employment, reducing re-hiring costs for businesses. We also want to see a more flexible model to allow SSP payment alongside wages, which would help people to gradually return to work rather than being signed off completely.

“This is a pivotal moment to make SSP fit for purpose and help grow our economy. We urge the UK government to go further with its reforms so that anybody with a health condition, including people with mental health problems, can remain in work.”

Rachel Kirby-Rider, Chief Executive at Young Lives vs Cancer said: “When a young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole life is disrupted. Many have to stop work immediately to get the treatment they need, and treatment and its side effects can keep them off work for a long time. But while their usual income may stop, the bills don’t. Our research shows young people spend an extra £700 a month on average when facing cancer, on essential costs such as travel to hospital, food, parking, and rising bills such as heating to keep warm.

“The last thing any young person with cancer should be worrying about when their world has been turned upside down is whether they will get the sick pay they deserve and if they can afford to keep up with their bills. We believe all young people with cancer should have access to a safe sick pay system, that provides sufficient financial support so they can stay in or return to employment if they want and if it's right for them."