Former Cabinet Ministers call on Chancellor for 'new deal' on sick pay’
Former cabinet ministers, Priti Patel MP and Robert Buckland MP, united today to call for a ‘new deal’ for a safe sick pay system, proposing an extension of Statutory Sick Pay, currently £110 per week, to all workers from day one of illness.
The call was welcomed by the Safe Sick Pay campaign who calculated the changes would benefit millions of workers without occupational sick pay. One in three workers (10 million people) on Statutory Sick Pay of £110 per week and around 2 million who are not eligible for any sick pay from their employer at all.
Writing in a joint article in Times RedBox today the two MPs laid out the case for change.
The Former Cabinet Ministers called on the Chancellor to bring in the measures to help boost the UK economy.
The call comes as Government data released today shows the number of people economically inactive due to illness stood at 2.5 million, the third consecutive month of increase and a rise of almost 500,000 since April 2019.
Changes to sick pay including extending it to those currently ineligible and day one sick pay received broad support from employers and employees alike in a DWP consultation in July 2019 but, despite widespread support, have not been acted on by the Government.***
Amanda Walters, Director of the Safe Sick Pay campaign, said:
“We welcome this clear call for Government action by Priti Patel and Robert Buckland. Extending the UK’s sick pay system to every worker, from day one of an illness will benefit workers and the wider economy.”
“Our sick pay system should be a world leader in supporting workers and businesses, but one in three workers can’t pay the bills when they get sick. This is causing some people to leave the job market entirely, despite wanting to work.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
CONTACT: Andy May [email protected] 07917824009
*About the Safe Sick Pay campaign:
Safe Sick Pay is a coalition of charities, professional bodies and unions including MIND, Young Lives vs Cancer, the CIPP (The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals), CIPD, (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development). The campaign asks to the Government include:
- Abolishing the earnings threshold for Statutory Sick Pay
- Making Statutory Sick Pay payable from the first day of sickness
- Increasing sick pay to be in line with a worker’s wages up to the real living wage
https://www.centreforprogressivechange.org/safe-sick-pay
Source ONS Labour Force Survey and Annual Household Survey. ]Time series data: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/economicinactivity/timeseries/lf69/lms
***Source: DWP consultation on ill health related job loss https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/health-is-everyones-business-proposals-to-reduce-ill-health-related-job-loss/health-is-everyones-business-proposals-to-reduce-ill-health-related-job-loss
