Today sees the launch of the Centre for Progressive Change’s Safe Sick Pay Campaign. At Care Full we think attention on sick pay as a foundation for an economy that works for us all is long overdue.

It’s the time of year where everyone you speak to has some form of lurgy; me and my better half have both just recovered from the stomach flu which had us laid up in bed for a week. For many of us, we are fortunate to either never be ill long enough to worry about the impact our illness has on our salaries, or work in places that have robust and supportive sick pay policies.

It may be this perceived lack of “need” that has led to sick pay in the UK sailing under the radar – and by sailing under the radar I mean utterly neglected and ignored so that it has become the lowest in the developed world.

For clarity, UK statutory sick pay (SSP) is £116.75 (or the equivalent of £3 per hour) per week for up to 28 weeks. It doesn’t kick in until you’ve been off sick for three days, and you don’t get paid for those three days, and for the lowest earners an earnings limit prevents them accessing SSP at all.

At Care Full we’re pleased to support the Centre for Progressive Change’s Safe Sick Pay campaign, as the neglect of sick pay (just like Carer’s Allowance) has wrought devastation on those who have a relationship with care.

If you receive a diagnosis of an acute illness – let’s choose cancer as it’s one that Care Full have been deeply affected by – the reality for your household is devastating. It is not only about the illness’s impact on your health but on your finances too. Macmillan Cancer research showed that four out of five people with cancer were £570 per month worse off. 

I remember looking through my Dad’s life insurance policy to see if they’d taken out mortgage cover when he got his diagnosis. My mum’s part-time shop job wouldn’t cover their monthly outgoings and definitely not their mortgage. 

As you can imagine, for unpaid carers the fear of becoming ill – even for a few days – is acute. It not only affects the practical aspects of care but also the financial as many households are already struggling at the loss of income. 

As the rhetoric around paid work ramps up (just this week we’ve had Alan Sugar, Tory MPs and former Chairs of Asda all telling us we’re slackers) and the government’s drive for “growth” comes at the expense of a compassionate approach to understanding people’s relationships with work, let’s think about what all of these people who say this have in common: they aren’t relying on SSP when they become ill.

At Care Full we believe a shift away from a GDP-centric economy is vital. In an economy designed around people, not profit, having the mechanisms (like a good social security system) that enable us to live well – even when we’re sick – is crucial.

The Safe Sick Pay campaign is one way we can build the foundations of an economy that works for us in the 21st century. A guarantee that everyone can access sick pay, from the first day they need it, and that the money will be enough to get by on. 

If you agree, you can support the campaign by writing to your MP with the help of this letter: https://bit.ly/RaiseSickPay

Ruth Hannan, Care Full co-founder