Member

Today’s amendments will set the rate of statutory sick pay at 80% of an employee’s normal weekly earnings or the flat rate—whichever is lower. Consequently, we will remove the previously proposed power for the Secretary of State to prescribe the percentage rate in secondary legislation. However, Ministers will still be able to use the existing power in section 157 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 to substitute a different provision as to the weekly flat rate of SSP, or the percentage rate of the employee’s weekly earnings, depending on which is lower. The amendments also amend the weekly flat rate to £118.75, as agreed by Parliament as part of its annual uprating exercise.