Claiming back Statutory Sick Pay during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how the statutory sick pay regime is administered, as well as the level of coverage

No one is ever meant to get rich—officially, at least—from a Government support programme. Those who have been on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) know from first-hand experience just what the Government has and is paying out when someone is signed off sick—and it is not much.

Just as COVID-19 has changed the way that the world and its economies are working, it has also changed how the SSP regime is administered and the level of coverage. Back in March 2020, the Government was forced to change the rules, so that instead of a 4-day wait before being able to claim, a sick employee suffering, self-isolating or shielding as a result of COVID-19 or its symptoms could claim from day one. The change was made for good reason too: the Government clearly did not want unwell people in the workplace because they did not want to take time off.