Self-employed in poor health

Calls to help 4 million grafters who don't get sick pay

- BY ALEXANDER BROWN Assistant Political Editor

SELF-EMPLOYED workers need sick pay to stop them going bust through illness, a think tank says.

The Fabian Society says full-time grafters aged over 25 face an 81% pay cut when they are too unwell to work.

By contrast, the average employee has far more security as well as earning 14% more on average.

The society is now urging the government to create a sick pay system for all of Britain's 4.4 million self-employed unless they opt out.