§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what considerations underlie the decision not to pay statutory sick pay and sickness benefit for the first three days of any absence from work due to illness.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardNo payment for the first three days of absence from work due to illness has been made since 1971. We consider that a person's own resources should normally be sufficient to cover the first three days of illness. But where this is not so, income support is available as appropriate. If a period of entitlement to sickness benefit or statutory sick pay occurs not more than eight weeks after a previous such period has ended and the earlier spell lasted for at least four days, then payment is made from the first day of incapacity of the second or subsequent spell.