Employer has stopped paying SSP with no reason

mofopants

Hi

I have been suffering from depression and was off for a period of 8 weeks before christmas and I have currently been off for the past 7 weeks with the same problem and have a sickline to cover me for the next 3 weeks.

My employer had been paying me ssp and they haven't paid me any for the past 2 weeks (i am due to be paid each friday). At first i assumed it was because they were waiting on a new sickline and were withholding my last weeks ssp on the previous sickline until they got this, but now they have this I don't understand why they have not been paying me.

I have looked into it and I think I have to request in writing a reason as to why my ssp hasn't been paid as my cirmustances haven't changed and I haven't received any reason from my employer as to why they haven't been paying me.

can anyone offer any advise on how i word this letter?

thanks

bevanuk

Have you tried contacting to them? Apologies if I'm stating the obvious. Everything has formal procedures, but maybe a phone call could answer your question.

mofopants

they aren't that approachable - half the reason I am off is because the boss is bullying me.

moremore

Sorry, I made an error and thought I had put this question on a new thread.

Lovelyjoolz

mofopants wrote: »

they aren't that approachable - half the reason I am off is because the boss is bullying me.

Is it a small company? Can you speak to someone other than the boss? If you can speak to however runs the payroll, they should be able to tell you why they haven't paid the SSP.

chrisbur

If SSP is stopped either a form SSP1 or an explaining letter should be given to the employee. I assume that this has not happened so in the first instance you need to check with your employer in case it is just an error, if this is not the case then you can request a written statement which must be given within a reasonable time.

From http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/helpsheets/e14.pdf
Page 29 gives full details of what the writeen statement should contain, that section is quoted below, and also a section about what happens when a formal decission is requested by an employee from the HMRC, part of which is quoted bellow.


"Written statement

If you decide not to pay SSP for a QD, for whatever reason, you should explain your decision to your employee.

If they don’t agree, they have the right to ask for a written statement from you about:

• those days that you regard SSP is payable for

• how much SSP you consider your employee isentitled to

• why you do not regard yourself as liable to pay SSP for other days in the period.

An employee can ask for a written statement at any time, and if the request is reasonable you must supply the statement within a reasonable time, for example within seven days of the request."


"Formal decisions about SSP entitlement

If your employee doesn’t agree with your decision about their SSP entitlement, they can ask HMRC to make a formal decision. An officer of HMRC can also ask for a formal decision on entitlement."