SSP is paid to employees or workers (who pay Class 1 National Insurance Contributions) who cannot work because of sickness.

Those who are Self-Employed (and pay Class 2 National Insurance Contributions) have no entitlement to Statutory Sick Pay, but may be able to claim Incapacity Benefit.

The standard rate of SSP is £79.15 per week from 6th April 2009.  You are entitled to SSP from your employer if you meet the qualifying conditions, which are:

• You must be sick for at least 4 days in a row (including weekends and bank holidays)
• You must earn before tax and national insurance deductions an average of £95.00 per week (from 6th April 2009)
• There is no minimum period you need to have worked for your employer to qualify for SSP (from 27th October 2008 regulations are being amended that mean agency workers on contracts of less than 3 months CANNOT be excluded from receiving SSP),
• There are no age limits to receiving SSP (removed 1.10.06).

SSP is paid for a maximum of 28 weeks and when it ends (or if you cannot get it ) you may be able to claim Incapacity Benefit from your local Job Centre; your employer needs to give you a form SSP1 which they complete and you send to your local Job Centre.

If your employer does not pay you SSP or you believe they are paying you an incorrect amount, and if you cannot sort this out with your employer, you can contact your local HM Revenue and Customs office who will help – find your local office at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/enq/index.htm

Many employers may offer more generous payments to employees if they are off sick, under their own schemes.

If you return within 7 days you should be required to fill in a self-certificate form explaining the nature of your sickness absence.  If you are ill for 7 days or more you need to get a certificate from your Doctor giving the reason why you could not go to work (these time limits may change if the Government make amendments because of swine flu).

Image by Sakurako Kitsa

If you work in the UK Media Industries and have a question about this or any other topic, please e-mail us at workline@freelanceadvisor.co.uk

Please note that the advice given on this website and by our Advisors is guidance only and cannot be taken as an authoritative interpretation of the law. It can also not be seen as specific advice for individual cases. Please also note that there are differences in legislation in Northern Ireland.