NHS sick pay - half-pay or half-pay plus SSP

[Deleted User]

Wife works for NHS and was off ill for some time last year. After six months, she went onto half pay.

However, been reading the NHS staff handbook and noticed this:-

14.5
Full pay needs to be inclusive of any statutory benefits (so as not to make
sick pay greater than normal working pay). The combined addition of
statutory sick pay to half pay must not exceed full pay

Seems to imply that once you go onto half-pay you get SSP as well (as long as it then doesnt exceed your full pay).

Thing is the definitely didn't pay this which has got me wondering.

Shes recently been on maternity and when she went on half-pay they 'forgot' to pay SMP on top (which they are supposed to) so they had to pay that on top.

Wondering if its same for sick pay?

Undervalued

As they are paying more than statutory this is entirely a contractual matter.

I can't speak for the NHS but I know that a large university with a similar sick pay scheme paid only whatever was necessary to make the benefits up to half pay. Their scheme had a rule that once SSP ran out (28 weeks??) you had to claim ESA and anything you got was deducted from the half pay. You also had to appeal if the ESA was turned down after the initial assessment phase. However, if your appeal wasn't successful or you were not eligible for ESA then the university paid all of the half pay itself.

I would be very surprised if the NHS is different.

Andy_L

You can only get SSP for the 1st 28 weeks (ie 6 months) of sickness.

chrisbur

[quote=[Deleted User];discussion/4915562]Wife works for NHS and was off ill for some time last year. After six months, she went onto half pay.

However, been reading the NHS staff handbook and noticed this:-

14.5
Full pay needs to be inclusive of any statutory benefits (so as not to make
sick pay greater than normal working pay). The combined addition of
statutory sick pay to half pay must not exceed full pay

Seems to imply that once you go onto half-pay you get SSP as well (as long as it then doesnt exceed your full pay).

Thing is the definitely didn't pay this which has got me wondering.

Shes recently been on maternity and when she went on half-pay they 'forgot' to pay SMP on top (which they are supposed to) so they had to pay that on top.

Wondering if its same for sick pay?


[/QUOTE]

As you say certainly implies that SSP is paid on top of half sick pay and have seen several references to this being the case for NHS staff, eg last post in this thread
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2306653

[Deleted User]

Andy_L wrote: »

You can only get SSP for the 1st 28 weeks (ie 6 months) of sickness.

In a sickness instance or in a calendar year? Makes a difference.

[Deleted User]

chrisbur wrote: »

As you say certainly implies that SSP is paid on top of half sick pay and have seen several references to this being the case for NHS staff, eg last post in this thread
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2306653

Very interesting. Not quite the same but similar but maternity pay (after 8 weeks full I think) goes to half pay PLUS SMP on top.

Would not be at all surprised if payroll forgot to add SSP on top of this sick pay too.

bll78

It's an old post you're looking at pre ESA days. 26 weeks is 26 weeks whether it goes over the end of the NHS year or not. As you mentioned it he rules are very similar to SMP, SMP is for a maximum of 9 months so it would stop after 9 months even if your wife was on mat leave for a year.
So as sick leave is a linking period if your wife went back off sick and went straight on half pay because she's not worked enough in the middle to reinstate full pay, but she was eligible for SSP again she'd get half pay plus SSP on top, but not for the one period.

PHILANTHROPIST

[quote=[Deleted User];discussion/4915562]Wife works for NHS and was off ill for some time last year. After six months, she went onto half pay.

Wondering if its same for sick pay?

[/QUOTE]

Paul - a query, but do not wish to pry. What long term sickness did your wife suffer from ?

I ask for a reason relating to a potential legal argument which may leave your wife with a back dated claim for unpaid wages, albeit, and only if applicable, via the county court.

If you do not wish to reveal such info in open forum then you can always PM me re that specific reply.

Takeaway_Addict

PHILANTHROPIST wrote: »

Paul - a query, but do not wish to pry. What long term sickness did your wife suffer from ?

I ask for a reason relating to a potential legal argument which may leave your wife with a back dated claim for unpaid wages, albeit, and only if applicable, via the county court.

If you do not wish to reveal such info in open forum then you can always PM me re that specific reply.

You sound like an ambulance chaser. If the OP felt there was an issue it would have been raised.

PHILANTHROPIST

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

You sound like an ambulance chaser. If the OP felt there was an issue it would have been raised.

Sticks and stones...

There is a perfectly legitimate reason why I ask, and it is not, as you allege, ambulance chasing. Far from it.

Mrs_Ryan

I've been in this situation (and it's caused me a blinking nightmare) I can definitely confirm its half pay plus SSP for as long as the entitlement to SSP lasts. And I think that is in a calendar year as I was only entitled to one week SSP as my last lot ran out in November 2012 but I went off sick again long term in August 2013- they're generally pretty good paying the SSP but it's when the SSP runs out and you need to get an SSP1 out of them that the issues start.. I too work for the NHS and am on long term sick with no prospect of return currently.