The Self-Employed Safety Net: Closing the "Sick Pay Gap"

Why founders need a different kind of financial protection.

For employees, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) offers a (albeit small) cushion. But for the UK's self-employed founders, that safety net is non-existent. A 2024/25 UK Government survey found that while 74% of employees return to work only when they feel recovered, 50% of self-employed workers return purely due to financial necessity.

This financial pressure is even more acute for those with diagnosed conditions. Recent ONS data (2025) shows that women diagnosed with endometriosis see a significant drop in their probability of remaining in paid employment and an average reduction in monthly earnings that persists for years after diagnosis.

This is the "Sick Pay Gap" that The Flow Fund was built to bridge.

• 51% of self-employed people receive zero income when they are off sick.

• Nearly half (49%) of self-employed people in some studies report going without essentials to make ends meet during health crises.

  
  

We are moving the conversation from "charity" to "equity." By providing Day-Rate Replacement grants, we ensure that a flare-up doesn't become a financial freefall. Your business shouldn't have to close because your body needs to rest.

Financial security shouldn't be a privilege of employment. It’s time to fund the flow.