MORE than seven million workers would benefit by scrapping the four-day wait in Britain’s “broken” sick-pay system, a joint report by the TUC and the Centre for Progressive Change says.

Changing the law so statutory sick pay can be claimed from the first day of illness would benefit 7.4 million — 26 per cent of employees — they found, rising to more than a third for labourers and cleaners and nearly two-fifths in the care and leisure sector.

With one in eight people of working age having less than £100 in savings and statutory sick pay now worth £23.35 a day for an employee working a typical five-day week, scrapping the four-day wait would make a big difference to families, said the report.

The current sick-pay system’s lower earnings limit — £123 a week — also leaves more than a million workers, 69 per cent women, unable to claim sick pay.

The TUC and campaign group called today on all political parties to join Labour by committing to scrap the wait for sick pay and removing the lower earnings limit.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Nobody should be plunged into hardship when they become sick. But millions of workers face a financial cliff edge if they get ill.

“Making people wait three days before they get any support is just plain wrong, especially in the current cost-of-living crisis.”

Amanda Walters, director of the Centre for Progressive Change, which co-ordinates the Safe Sick Pay campaign, said: “The three unpaid sick-pay waiting days means a full-time worker on statutory sick pay gets an effective sick-pay rate of just £1 an hour.

“Charities, workers, businesses and trade unions are calling for the next government to change this broken system.”