Stealth tax on working parents? From April, little-publicised change means £2,500 liability for Statutory Sick Pay for families with a Nanny

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This must be a candidate for a Mumsnet campaign!!

Employing a Nanny is about to get much riskier. Previously, as a micro employer, families could reclaim Statutory Sick Pay from the Government if Nanny needed time off work through illness or injury. From April this will end.

So if Nanny has the bad luck of falling seriously ill, needing an operation or breaking a leg, families will need to foot a bill of up to £2,500 in SSP in addition to the cost of replacement childcare.

NB the cost is the same even if Nanny is part time: SSP is a flat rate to all those earning over £109/wk.

The change has been really badly publicised. Obviously it's bad news for all micro-businesses, and is just starting to attract some adverse comment amongst accountants, eg:

www.accountancylive.com/statutory-sick-pay-reforms-%E2%80%98catastrophic%E2%80%99-small-firms

But no-one seems to have picked up the serious implications for nannies and their employers. Financial liabilities for families, and therefore likely fewer jobs for nannies. Overall a serious blow to childcare options for working families.

What can we do about it???