Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much (a) statutory sick pay has been paid out of the public purse to (a) self-employed and (b) employed people in financial year 2019-20.

Statutory Sick Pay is paid by employers not from the public purse.

The Government has introduced a rebate scheme reimbursing small-medium enterprises (less than 250 employees) for up to two weeks of SSP per employee due to COVID-19. The Government estimates that nearly 2 million employers will be eligible for this rebate. The Government will work with employers over the coming months to set up a repayment mechanism for employers as soon as possible.