On Monday 21 February, the Prime Minster gave a statement to the House of Commons on Living with Covid-19. Stephen urged him to improve Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
During the pandemic, SSP was available from day one of isolating from Covid-19. In other cases, it is paid when the employee is sick for at least four days in a row. A recent survey of over 2,000 workers in England and Wales found that 20% of those who could not work while isolating did not receive sick pay or wages. SSP is not currently available to everyone, meaning that millions of people did not receive it during the pandemic.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Stephen reminded the Prime Minister that the Government have postponed reforms to SSP because of the pandemic. He then asked “will he now bring forward the much-needed and long-delayed reforms to Statutory Sick Pay?”
You can watch Stephen’s full question - and the Prime Minister’s response - below.