News
Changes to Statutory Sick Pay
Tue 20th Apr 2010
Statutory Sick Pay rates will remain the same in the 2010-2011 tax year, although the lower earnings limit for employees entitled to receive SSP will rise from £95 a week to £97 in April 2010. Other changes relating to Statutory Sick Pay in April 2010 are set out in the Social Security (Medical Evidence) and Statutory Sick Pay (Medical Evidence) Amendment Regulations 2010. These Regulations scrap the current "sick note" system which has been in place since 1948 and replaces it with "fit notes".
The Government has made changes to the current sick pay system to encourage individuals, especially those on long-term sick, to return or stay in work. A large part of these regulatory changes is the different format of the medical statement from the GP which will need to indicate whether a patient is fit for some work and if changes could be made to the patient's workplace or role to allow the patient to return to their job.
The new regulations have caused some concern from the medical industry, as it is clear that GPs will need to spend more time with the patients to assess their abilities and also to gain a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities within the workplace. However, the Government have said they will be evaluating and reviewing the changes to be published in 2012/13.