Thread by @faisalislam

PM announcement at PMQs:

“Self isolating workers helping all of us by helping slow spread of the virus” so

will bring forward legislation for measures to allow payment of Statutory Sick Pay from first day rather than 4th day...

NB SSP is paid by businesses - not the taxpayer

Only if SSP is being claimed and a business goes bust, will HMRC fund statutory sick pay. Otherwise, ie in the main, businesses will have to pay.

Unclear now if this is a general change to the SSP rules, or if this only applies to coronavirus self-isolates.

Nothing yet in writing about changes to £94.25 a week SSP, but here is what I have been told:

- funded as existing SSP from business owners paying it to employees, but some expectation that in the round they will get some general support in Budget
/1

... aimed at a medical outcome - preventing sick people who should self isolating from going to work and infecting colleagues, because otherwise they would lose £94 a week.

Ie its forcing business to pay people to self isolate. /2

- temporary for period of epidemic, but cant be specifically reserved for coronavirus sufferers, so will affect SSP generally for that period for other illnesses * not confirmed /3

- doesnt address the issue that some employers say they are not obliged to pay SSP for self isolation at all, as not sickness

- doesnt change non eligibility of 5m self employed/ freelance, and some 2m low paid workers who dont qualify because earn below £118 a week. /4