Major change to sick pay rules TODAY – what you need to know

WORKERS may get less cash to boost their income if they are off sick from today.

A major change to sick pay rules that was introduced during the pandemic has now been rolled back, which could affect how much money you can get if you’re unwell.

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Statutory sick pay (SSP) and Employment Support Allowance (ESA) are two of the main benefits you could get if you’re ill.

SSP is the minimum a worker can get under the law if unwell and unable to work.

It is worth £96.35 a week for those who qualify and is paid by employers for up to 28 weeks if you’re earning at least £120 a week

That is just the minimum and your boss might pay more.

The rules for getting them were adjusted during the Covid outbreak to support hard-up Brits.

If you were self-isolating or sick from Covid you were able to get SSP from day one instead of after three days.

This meant workers wouldn’t lost vital income if forced to self-isolate.

However, the SSP rules will return to normal from today.

Workers who are sick with Covid will now have to wait until day four to start receiving SSP.

The temporary rule change also applied to ESA, which you can claim if an illness or disability is affecting your ability to work.

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It is worth up to £74.70 a week, depending on circumstances.

When Covid hit, the government tweaked the benefit to allow those eligible to make a claim from the first day they were absent from work – instead of the usual eighth day.

But the rules have returned to normal from today.

This means claimants will face a seven day wait before being able to get ESA.

To be eligible for ESA you need to have worked either as a self-employed worker or as an employee, have paid enough National Insurance contributions (usually in the last 2 to 3 years), and you can’t get ESA if you claim Jobseeker’s Allowance or Statutory Sick Pay.

The move is the latest phase of the government’s relaxation of Covid restrictions.

There’s no longer a legal requirement to self-isolate, even if you test positive for Covid.

It’s part of the government’s “Living with Covid” strategy that marks the end of two years of lockdowns and testing.

Households will no longer be able to get free Covid test kits from next month.

Additionally, the £500 pay out to help hard-up Brits pay for bills if they were self isolating due to Covid ended in February.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk