United Kingdom: Employment and Workforce Wellbeing

The UK Supreme Court has ruled on whether government furlough payments received during the COVID-19 pandemic must be deducted from business interruption insurance claims under policy savings clauses. The decision addresses fundamental questions about the economic substance of government relief measures and their treatment under the indemnity principle, with significant implications for insurers and policyholders navigating similar disputes.

The UK government announced in September 2021 that, in England, people previously considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 will not be advised to shield again.

Two key changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) came into effect on 25 March 2022, with the rules returning to those previously in force before the Covid-related amendments to legislation made in 2020.