Advice on SSP

Helekitten

Hi, I'm a newbie to all this but read some of the other threads and hope I get as good advice as the other folks seem to be getting on here

At the moment I'm signed off work due to a knee injury on 20th September (this is week 10 off work). I am unable to be signed back on as fit for work due to me experiencing a lot of pain navigating the stairs (and there is a big staircase at my workplace - my desk and the only ladies toilet being on the first floor). They need a "well" note from my doctor for insurance purposes before I can return to work. I have offered to work from home and / or do research or any other necessary tasks which I have the resources for at home but my manager says it is inpracticable and so far has refrained from taking up these offers. My employer was paying me company sick pay (full monthly pay) until the 1st November but has paid me SSP (£79.15 per week) since then.

My doctor messed up with my referral to the specialist and this meant that my case has dragged on at least six / seven weeks longer than it should have done.

My partner works a 40hr week and earns approx £300 before tax per week.

Any thoughts or advice on how to claim any benefits I may be entitled to would be most appreciated. With Christmas coming up £79.15 per week isn't even covering my half of the mortgage and bills nevermind anything else.

I am starting to worry that I won't have a job to return to as I am unable to secure a response from the doctors about how much longer I may be off work.

I have spoken to my mortgage provider about our situation and we could possibly transfer to an interest only payment for one or two months and return to normal payments when I am signed back on as fit for work.

Also, I know this is the wrong thread for this but, does anyone know if I could claim compensation for loss of earnings due to the doctor's administration being the cause of my treatment being delayed and resulting in me being off work longer than necessary???

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give us.

NASA_2

I cant see that you are entitled to anything more than you are already getting. It might be worth informing Tax Credits of your situation and reduction in income and seeing what comes of that. Your combined earnings are far too high to get Income Support and because you are getting SSP you cannot claim ESA either.

DLA could potentially be claimed but IMO you dont satisfy the criteria.