Unum UK proposes Statutory Sick Pay overhaul

Changes aim to boost SSP contributions from 28% of earnings to 63%

Hemma Visavadia
clock • 2 min read

Unum UK has proposed an overhaul to the Government’s Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) system which could see the UK economy benefit from £3.9 billion over the next five years.

The suggested changes are part of the employee benefits provider's Statutory Sickness Support proposal, which aims to shift the SSP focus away from payments and instead focus on delivering "effective" employee support. SSP, which was introduced in the 1980s, allows workers to receive £99.35 a week if they are unable to work due to ill health. However, research conducted by WPI Economics and commissioned by Unum, found that around two million workers, 70% of which are women, fail to qualify for support. In a bid to address this, Unum said its new system would offer support for worke...

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