SSP over, what happens next ?

hmm_3

I've been off work since mid August 2006 with depression. I was paid my full wage from being signed off till end of January 2007. They wrote to me in January saying I'd be paid till January and would thereafter receive SSP. Then got a letter end of February saying my SSP would run out mid March, thereafter I'd get nothing. I understand that - that SSP is payable for seven months, and that they paid more than they had to for most of it. But what happens now ??? I'm still employed by them, so are my NIC's still being paid, or holiday entitlement accruing ? I've got an unemployment insurance policy which I could claim under, but I'm not unemployed. Could I claim any benefits ?

I just feel in limbo at the moment - I'm not unemployed, I am employed but not getting paid anything. And I need to pay the bills and mortgage.

Should I just resign ? The insurance wouldn't pay out and I couldn't get benefits so probably not. I just don't know what to do now.

seven-day-weekend

Have you applied for Incapacity Benefit? This is the one that usually follows the stoppage of SSP. Your NICs will be credited if you get IB.

See link below for more information.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Bfsl1/BenefitsAndFinancialSupport/DG_10018913

hmm_3

No I haven't yet but I will do now. It sounds stupid but I'm a bit fuzzy atm. Even if I get it, it won't cover half the mortgage much less the bills. If the company would just dismiss me, I could claim on the insurance which would buy me time.

TITEASCRAMP

ssp is for 28 weeks after that your employer should supply you with I think its a sp1 form to take to DSS. They will then put you on Incapcity benefit. I think its only about £70 a week though. Hope that helps

inkie

Do you not have sickness cover with the mortgage insurance?

hmm_3

inkie wrote: »

Do you not have sickness cover with the mortgage insurance?

No, I cut back to unemployment only about 2 years ago to save money:eek:

TITEASCRAMP

do u have medical insurance through work

elsien

hmm wrote: »

If the company would just dismiss me, I could claim on the insurance which would buy me time.

Not allowed to sack people for being sick, unless there is a valid reason ie medical incapacity, which involves ongoing occupational health assessment. It's against all sorts of legislation otherwise, and you could take the company to a tribunal. Can you talk to your company about the likelihood of returning, and whether they want to go down the incapacity route? That may give you a way in to claim insurance.
Whatever you do, don't resign without checking out all the implications first - it might disbar you from certain benefits.

hmm_3

TITEASCRAMP wrote: »

do u have medical insurance through work

Yes, but I haven't done anything with it. It's BUPA. I'm a very private person and the only medical help I think I could get would be a shrink ? Thing is the company told me to go see a company nominated shrink to 'assess' me I suppose. He was a patronising intrusive prat and I found the whole thing humiliating and degrading. I was in tears when I left. I never want to go near one again.

If you mean could I get retired or something through the insurance, I doubt it. I did fill in a BUPA form sent by the company which I think was to see if I qualified for PHI but I never heard anything about it. That was about 3 months ago.

hmm_3

elsien wrote: »

Not allowed to sack people for being sick, unless there is a valid reason ie medical incapacity, which involves ongoing occupational health assessment. It's against all sorts of legislation otherwise, and you could take the company to a tribunal. Can you talk to your company about the likelihood of returning, and whether they want to go down the incapacity route? That may give you a way in to claim insurance.
Whatever you do, don't resign without checking out all the implications first - it might disbar you from certain benefits.

I think my dismissal would be medical incapacity so they could do it. It's been over 7 months since I was at work. But there's no ongoing occupational health assessment. I saw a company appointed shrink ( see previous post ) which was horrible. Apart from that I ring my line manager once a week to report in. They don't phone me ( which is fine - I don't want them to ). They write to me periodically on business- like basis to say here's your payslip, we've changed the pension scheme or health provider. The last letter was about the ending of SSP period and form to give to DSS. We never talk about how/if/when I can return to work. You might say I should instigate this dialogue but I can't - I'm fuzzy and knackered all the time, haven't got a clue when I'll feel better, and can't face it. They'll expect rational thinking/argument/explanations, they'll expect suggestions from me on what would help but I don't know what would help.

Sorry, I'm rambling. What I'm trying to say is they don't communicate with me much apart from work related stuff, not my illness related stuff.

seven-day-weekend

Could you ask your mortgage provider to let you have a payment holiday for a few months? You may have sorted something out by then.