Sick Leave Please Help

carinaboo

I work in the NHS and missed a lot of work last year due to back problems. As a result I had surgery 6 weeks ago which I am told has around a 6 month recovery time. Because I missed so much work last year my full sick pay allowance is due to decrease to half pay in January, which will leave me well short for paying rent and bills, council tax etc, let alone being able to eat. I was wondering what help (if any) i would be able to get. I don't have any savings or credit that I can rely on, and I'm starting to get a bit worried about how I am going to get by.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Apologies if this is posted in the wrong place, I'm a newbie

Uncertain

carinaboo wrote: »

I work in the NHS and missed a lot of work last year due to back problems. As a result I had surgery 6 weeks ago which I am told has around a 6 month recovery time. Because I missed so much work last year my full sick pay allowance is due to decrease to half pay in January, which will leave me well short for paying rent and bills, council tax etc, let alone being able to eat. I was wondering what help (if any) i would be able to get. I don't have any savings or credit that I can rely on, and I'm starting to get a bit worried about how I am going to get by.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Apologies if this is posted in the wrong place, I'm a newbie

May be better posting this on the benefits board.

However.......

For up to 28 weeks you will get statutory sick pay (SSP) plus whatever company sick pay you are entitled to. You indicate this is full pay for some weeks then dropping to half. You don't say how many weeks.

After 28 weeks SSP stops but you can claim ESA. This has two parts, contribution based (paid regardless of your means) plus income based which depends on your other income and assets. Both are subject to a medical examination after the first 13 weeks.

MrsManda

If you put your details into one of the benefits calculators below as if you're already on half pay you'll get an idea of whether you'll be entitled to claim any benefits.
http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

https://www.dwpe-services.direct.gov.uk/portal/page/portal/ba/lp?_piref278_36249_278_36248_36248.__ora_navig=

If you haven't already, check your contract to make sure you are receiving everything you are entitled to from your employer.

carinaboo

Thank you both for your help and advice.

I have read up on benefits but really can't make out what it means for me, it's a minefield of confusion. I assumed I wouldn't get SSP as I thought that was already factored in to my pay while on sick leave anyway. As long as I can get something to tide me over I'll be happy.

I will try out the benefits calculator too.

Thanks again

Uncertain

carinaboo wrote: »

I assumed I wouldn't get SSP as I thought that was already factored in to my pay while on sick leave anyway. the benefits calculator too.

Yes it is.

If you are getting full sick pay from your company this is actually SSP topped up to your normal wages.

Smaller employers get the SSP back from the government in a round about way but larger employers end up paying the SSP themselves - but this is not the employee's problem.