The Safe Sick Pay campaign, backed by cancer and health charities, has written to Rishi Sunak as well as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer demanding change
Cancer charities have issued a stark warning, calling for an urgent increase in the ‘inadequate’ statutory sick pay as they estimate around a quarter of a million UK workers living with cancer are struggling to cover essential costs.
The Safe Sick Pay campaign, which is supported by various cancer and health charities, has penned a letter to both Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, urging for a significant change. They argue that Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) should be aligned with a worker’s normal earnings up to the Living Wage to adequately support those battling cancer to “recover and return to work safely”.
This plea comes on the heels of the Prime Minister’s recent speech on welfare reforms where he pledged to dismantle the “sick note culture”, a move that drew flak for its perceived “hostile rhetoric”. Earlier in March, a report from the Work and Pensions Committee, comprised of MPs, recommended a hike in SSP, highlighting that the current rate fails to provide sufficient financial backing for the most vulnerable workers.
According to the Safe Sick Pay campaign, using data from Macmillan Cancer Support regarding the working-age cancer population, an estimated 249,075 employees with cancer are left without enough income to manage essential expenses such as rent and heating. At present, SSP stands at £116.75 per week for a duration of up to 28 weeks, covering only the days an individual would normally work, excluding the initial three days.
A letter penned by campaigners, including organisations such as Macmillan Cancer Support, Brain Tumour Research and the Centre for Progressive Change which runs the Safe Sick Pay campaign, has been dispatched to the Liberal Democrat and SNP Westminster leaders, as well as Mr Sunak and Sir Keir. The campaigners are highlighting the issue “of the UK’s Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) arrangements and their inadequacy in supporting working-age people with cancer diagnoses to recover and return to work safely”.
The letter demands a commitment from political parties to pledge to increase SSP, make it payable from the first day of sickness, abolish the earnings threshold so that part-time workers who are currently ineligible can receive some sick pay entitlement, and ensure that benefits such as Pip (personal independence payment) and UC ( Universal Credit ) are made available as soon as possible at the point of need.
It stated: “Sick pay reform combined with faster acting support from the benefits system would reduce the number of people faced with financial hardship during their treatment and aftercare, including those living with cancer.” The benefit, they said, would extend beyond cancer patients, providing financial security “that ensures many people with other types of long term conditions aside from cancer, can safely and securely return to work”.
Campaigners have highlighted a study by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, which found that individuals on SSP during cancer treatment could face an income loss of tens of thousands of pounds in extreme cases. They pointed out that extra costs such as hospital parking charges, travel expenses for treatment, and increased bills for heating and food can exacerbate the situation, with the combined impact of income loss and additional costs ranging from £5,000 to £28,000.
The campaigners also referenced previous analysis by WPI Economics, suggesting that reforms could boost the economy through increased productivity, reduced long-term absences due to inadequate rest worsening health conditions, and improved public health outcomes. Amanda Walters, director of the Safe Sick Pay campaign, argued: “Government reforms to ensure employers pay a higher rate of sick pay from day one wouldn’t just be an act of compassion, it is good economic sense.”
Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain called for urgent reform of SSP, stressing that cancer patients should not have to face “additional burdens from financial hardship. Our goal must be help patients return to full health and back to their day-to-day lives as fast as possible. That means reducing waiting lists, providing adequate statutory sick pay, and ensuring benefits are available for those who need them.”
A representative for the Department of Work and Pensions stated: “We understand how difficult and life-altering a cancer diagnosis can be. That’s why there’s a wide financial safety net to support those who are too ill to work, including through statutory sick pay, Universal Credit and Pip which were all increased by 6.7% this month.”
“Employers should make reasonable adjustments to support employees to manage their health conditions and our new occupational health taskforce will provide guidance for businesses to offer the best possible health support to their staff.”