MPs call for sick pay to go up in line with maternity pay

MPs are calling for an increase in statutory sick pay which they say does not offer adequate financial support for workers most in need.

Statutory sick pay (SSP) should also be made more widely available, said the Work and Pensions Committee.

Unions have been calling for SSP to be increased for years and welcomed today’s report by MPs.

The committee said a “modest” increase to SSP in line with statutory maternity pay would strike a reasonable balance between providing extra financial support and not placing excessive extra costs on businesses.

MPs said all workers should be eligible for SSP, not just those earning above the lower earnings limit.

The committee noted that rates of sickness absence and ill health have increased in recent years, with a record 185.6 million working days lost to sickness or injury in 2022.

MPs said they understood why the Government decided that the pandemic was the wrong time to introduce changes, due to the additional costs on employers, but added that this argument was now less valid.

The Government was urged to amend legislation so that SSP is paid in combination with usual wages to encourage phased returns to work.

Sir Stephen Timms (inset), who chairs the committee, said: “Statutory sick pay is failing in its primary purpose to act as a safety net for workers who most need financial help during illness. The committee’s proposals strike the right balance between widening and strengthening support and not placing excessive burdens on business.”

MPs said they believed a rate in line with the rate of statutory maternity pay would strike the best balance, increasing it to £172.48 a week from £109.40.