Tory ministers have been branded ‘inhumane’ as they raise Statutory Sick Pay from today - by precisely £3.00 per week.
The paltry raise will mean the minimum sick pay rate is still less than £100 per week, standing at £99.35 from 6 April 2022.
And it will only be available to people earning £123 or more per week - leaving out 2million low-wage or part-time staff.
Today’s rise in sick pay is far less than inflation which is expected to peak at nearly 9% this year.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Today’s minimal increase to statutory sick pay means it is still set below survival rate.
“Statutory sick pay in the UK is by far the lowest in Europe. And two million of the lowest paid don’t qualify for it at all.
“Time and time again we warned ministers that sick pay wasn’t enough to live on.
“After more than two years of the pandemic, it’s inhumane and counter-productive for ministers not to have fixed our broken sick pay system.
“Enough is enough. It’s time for decent sick pay for all – paid at the real Living Wage so people can pay their bills when they’re ill.”
Long-awaited reforms to extend SSP to 2million more people were quietly ditched last summer.
Three years ago the government said there was "a case" for removing the requirement for claimants to earn at least £124-a-week.
But the government said: “Now is not the right time to introduce changes to the sick pay system."
Today’s real-terms cut comes days after other changes to sick pay which narrowed eligibility to people with Covid.
Some 425,303 UK people have tested positive in the last week.
While this is a fall of 25.9% on the week before, 20,398 patients were in hospital with the virus on Monday - the highest since February 2021.
Yet since March 24, people who fall ill with Covid are no longer eligible for immediate 'Day One' sick pay. Instead you only get SSP from the fourth day of illness.
A £500 isolation payment for people who test positive was also scrapped in February.
Employees are now legally allowed to carry on going to work with the virus - despite government guidance suggesting they should stay home if they feel ill or test positive.
Free Covid tests have been axed since April 1 with Boots selling them for £2 each.
Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) National Chair Martin McTague warned the clash is going to “throw up really challenging scenarios”.
He said last week: “Imagine you’re a sole trader struggling to make ends meet as bills spiral.
“You develop a tickly cough, you don’t have access to a lateral flow test, and at the same moment win a piece of work that would see you through the end of the month.
“Or you’re a part time employee with caring responsibilities who doesn’t meet the lower earnings limit that ensures you qualify for Statutory Sick Pay.
“You start to feel under the weather, again no access to a covid test, but you feel well enough to work, and working from home is not an option.”
