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<p>As set out in the 2019 “Health is Everyone’s Business” consultation, it is estimated
that there are around 2 million employees who earn below the Lower Earnings Limit
(LEL) and are therefore ineligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). Of those, approximately
30% are male and 70% are female.</p><p> </p><p>SSP reform, including extending SSP
eligibility to those earning below the LEL, was part of the “Health is Everyone’s
Business” consultation in 2019. In the response to the consultation published in 2021,
Government stated the pandemic was not the right time to introduce changes to the
rate of SSP or its eligibility criteria as this would have placed an immediate and
direct cost on employers at a time where many were struggling.</p><p> </p><p>As we
learn to live with Covid-19, the Government is continuing to take a broader look at
the role of SSP and is keeping the system under review.</p><p><strong> </strong></p>
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