Recommendation 8

Far too many people lack a financial safety net during periods of ill health as a result of being self-employed. In this respect, if no other, Statutory Sick Pay does not reflect modern working practices, given the increasing number of people classed as self- employed. Their exclusion is all the more egregious as many of them will be working in some of the lowest-paid and least secure parts of the economy. We recognise that self-employed people cannot be made eligible for SSP, but we strongly believe that the Government must do more to ensure they are no worse off financially during periods of sickness than employees on SSP. Our preference is for the Government to establish a contributory sick pay scheme for self-employed people. The Government should establish a contributory sick pay scheme for self-employed people to provide them with the same level of income protection as would be available under SSP.