Written question asked by Perran Moon (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 23 October 2025. It was answered by Diana Johnson (Labour) on Wednesday, 29 October 2025 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Statutory Sick Pay

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to monitor the potential impact of the April 2025 Statutory Sick Pay reforms on low-paid workers.

Answer: There were no reforms to Statutory Sick Pay in April 2025 other than annual uprating. From April 2026, we will be removing the Lower Earnings Limit as an entitlement criterion for Statutory Sick Pay and removing the waiting period. This means Statutory Sick Pay will be payable to all employees regardless of their earnings from their first full working day of sickness absence. The Government is committed to conducting a post implementation review of the Statutory Sick Pay measures within five years of implementation, including the impact on those in low paid employment.

Secondary information