Repeated SSP Claims

kissjenn

Hi,

I wonder if you knowledgeable people could help me with some advice on SSP.

I've always worked but sometimes as an employee and sometimes through my own Limited Company - Director and employee.

In June 2011 I was contracting at a company when I found I had cancer. I was unable to work from July 2011 to April 2012 getting fully SSP and then about 4/6 weeks ESA.

Started a new contract in April 2012, everything going great then cancer returned. This time off on SSP from Feb 2013 to August 2013.

Well third time's a charm. Went for routine check-up in Dec and I've another 35mm of cancer. Surgery over Christmas and probably back on radio and/or chemo later this month. Hospital want me off until it's all completed. So if I claim from Dec 2013 when I started this absence will I be entitled to another round of SSP?

All taxes, NI etc are all up to date. Apart from Lower Rate DLA, I have no other forms of income but enough savings to knock me out of any income based options.

Thanks,
KJ

chrisbur

kissjenn wrote: »

Hi,

I wonder if you knowledgeable people could help me with some advice on SSP.

I've always worked but sometimes as an employee and sometimes through my own Limited Company - Director and employee.

In June 2011 I was contracting at a company when I found I had cancer. I was unable to work from July 2011 to April 2012 getting fully SSP and then about 4/6 weeks ESA.

Started a new contract in April 2012, everything going great then cancer returned. This time off on SSP from Feb 2013 to August 2013.

Well third time's a charm. Went for routine check-up in Dec and I've another 35mm of cancer. Surgery over Christmas and probably back on radio and/or chemo later this month. Hospital want me off until it's all completed. So if I claim from Dec 2013 when I started this absence will I be entitled to another round of SSP?

All taxes, NI etc are all up to date. Apart from Lower Rate DLA, I have no other forms of income but enough savings to knock me out of any income based options.

Thanks,
KJ

Provided that your current sickness is not linked to a previous sickness then SSP starts over again with three waiting days and 28 weeks SSP, provided other qualifying conditions are met.
For SSP to link with a previous sickness there would need to be eight weeks or less between them, which is not the case.
Different rules apply to ESA linking I believe; but as this was not paid during last sickness that does not apply.

kissjenn

Thanks Chris.

Last claim became a bit of a nightmare as HMRC read the claim form from the accountant wrongly and refused to pay my SMP until I could prove I had the baby!! Took 9 months ironically to sort out.

Hopefully this will be the last time

KJ

alexjonsson

chrisbur wrote: »

Provided that your current sickness is not linked to a previous sickness then SSP starts over again with three waiting days and 28 weeks SSP, provided other qualifying conditions are met.
For SSP to link with a previous sickness there would need to be eight weeks or less between them, which is not the case.
Different rules apply to ESA linking I believe; but as this was not paid during last sickness that does not apply.

I'm assuming this latest cancer is mets, which by definition is linked, as it's technically the same illness. Just because there are eight weeks of non-sickness absence between the two doesn't mean they are different illnesses!

I understand that doesn't matter in terms of claiming SSP.

All the best with your treatment. I am currently off work and receiving SSP whilst undergoing treatment for my second mets of bowel cancer - first to my liver, now to my lungs.

chrisbur

alexjonsson wrote: »

I'm assuming this latest cancer is mets, which by definition is linked, as it's technically the same illness. Just because there are eight weeks of non-sickness absence between the two doesn't mean they are different illnesses!

I understand that doesn't matter in terms of claiming SSP.

Just to clarify I was talking only of the rules of SSP which to be technical refer to a "period of incapacity for work" often abbreviated as PIW. The PIW requires only that for at least four consecutive days you are sick and you do no work, it is the PIW linking rules that I was referring to not any link that may exist regarding the actual illness.
As is said at the end (underlined bit)any link relating to the cause of the absence is not taken into account for SSP.

alexjonsson

chrisbur wrote: »

Just to clarify I was talking only of the rules of SSP which to be technical refer to a "period of incapacity for work" often abbreviated as PIW. The PIW requires only that for at least four consecutive days you are sick and you do no work, it is the PIW linking rules that I was referring to not any link that may exist regarding the actual illness.
As is said at the end (underlined bit)any link relating to the cause of the absence is not taken into account for SSP.

Thanks for clarifying that - I understand, hence why I added that qualifying sentence.