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4 March, 2020 Open access

Government to allow payment of SSP from the first day of sickness in the case of a person self-isolating as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19)

Change will be a temporary measure to respond to the outbreak, designed to ensure that 'nobody should be penalised for doing the right thing'

The government is to allow the payment of statutory sick pay (SSP) from the first day of sickness in the case of a person self-isolating as a result of coronavirus.

During Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said -

'If they stay at home and if we ask people to self-isolate they may lose out financially, so I can today announce that the Health Secretary will bring forward, as part of our emergency coronavirus legislation, measures to allow the payment of statutory sick pay from the very first day you were sick instead of four days under the current rules … nobody should be penalised for doing the right thing.'

Later, the government issued a press release in which it confirmed that - 

'The change will be a temporary measure to respond to the outbreak and will lapse when it is no longer required.'

For more information, see today's PMQs from Hansard and Sick pay from day one for those affected by coronavirus from gov.uk