New Covid Statutory Sick Pay Rules Come Into Play This Week

Statutory sick pay (SSP) and employment support allowance designed to help people through the coronavirus pandemic will change this week.

In March 2020, the UK government suspended the four-day minimum to allow employees to receive the sick pay benefits on the first day they had to take time off work.

As outlined by the government website, you can currently get £96.35 per week SSP minimum if you're too ill to work, which can be paid for up to 28 weeks if you earn at least £120 a week.

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But from tomorrow (24 March), new rules come into effect that mean you can only receive payments starting on day four of your leave, considered to be the first 'qualifying' day.

The temporary SSP change was also applied to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), which is available for those with an illness or disability that impacts capability to work.

Those eligible for ESA can receive up to £74.70 a week, depending on circumstances.

At the height of the pandemic, the government adjusted the terms to provide ESA claims on the first day people were absent from work, but this is set to change back to the usual eighth day from tomorrow.

The rule changes are part of the government's 'Living with Covid' plan, which will see Covid restrictions being lifted on Thursday 24 February.

This means that those who receive a positive Covid-19 test will still be advised to stay at home for at least five days, but will not be obliged to under law under the plans subject to parliamentary approval.

During a statement made in the House of Commons last month (21 February), Boris Johnson said that things are now a 'personal responsibility'.

Addressing the house, he explained: "Together with the treatments and scientific understanding of the virus that we've built up we now have sufficient levels of immunity to complete the transition from protecting people with government interventions to relying on vaccines and treatments as our first line of defence."

He went on to add: "From this Thursday we will end the legal requirement to self isolate following a positive test."

Giving an update on the changes more specifically, he said: "From today, we're removing the guidance for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing.

"And from 1 April, when winter is over and the virus will spread less easily, we will end free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public.

"We will continue to provide free symptomatic tests to the oldest age groups and those most vulnerable to Covid.

"From 1 April we will also no longer recommend the use of voluntary Covid status certification, although the NHS app will continue to allow people to indicate their vaccination status for international travel."

He also told MPs that there will be a new spring booster that will be made available for those aged 75 and older, to older care home residents and those over 12 who are immunosuppressed.