Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend sick pay regulations to match those in Germany to encourage employees who display symptoms of COVID-19 to remain at home.

As part of the Government's response to the pandemic, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) has been made payable from the first day of sickness absence from work, rather than the fourth, and eligibility extended to those who are following public health advice on self-isolation due to coronavirus, including where they do not have symptoms. These measures will remain in place until 24^th March 2022.

Sick pay regimes sit alongside the different welfare systems, economies, and employment obligations and protections in place internationally which need to be taken into account when making international comparisons.

In the UK, SSP should not be looked at in isolation. Government support through the welfare system, including Universal Credit, is also available for those on low incomes who need extra financial help when they are sick or incapable of work.

As we learn to live with Covid-19, Government is continuing to take a broader look at the role of SSP and is keeping the system under review.