Sick pay entitlement

usignuolo

My friend is a teacher in a private school. She developed an illness around Christmas last year, which mystified the doctors and left her unable to work. After trekking round specialists for most of the spring she finally got a named diagnosis in April. (Something obscure and complicated I do not understand but related in some way to migraines). This means, she tells me, that her 6 month guaranteed sick pay starts from when she had the formal diagnosis of her illness.

I assume this must be true as she is still being paid her full salary although not back at work. The school, understandably, is expecting her back in a couple of weeks time for the new term but she is now saying that she wants to delay it until half term as she is not fully recovered. She says she will ask to work part time and they will have to honour that because it is not her fault she is not fit for full time work.

I am trying to get her to consider her options. What happens when the six months is up?

Icequeen99

I have never heard of sick pay starting only when you get a formal diagnosis, it starts after the first few waiting days of sickness.

IQ

Torry_Quine

If she is no longer entitled to pay from her employer then if over six months she will be able to get ESA (Employment Support Allowance) as she would get SSP until then. If she has sufficient NI contributions it will be based on them but if not then it will be income based which takes into account household income and savings. She would need to send her fit-note from her GP to claim this.

They do not have to give her less hours just because she cannot do full time anymore. They may have to make reasonable adjustments to her work which depends on the condition.

Finally I've never heard of sick pay being dependent on a diagnosis

Horseunderwater

SSP has always started from day 3 of an illness - perhaps she means occupational sickpay instead? That would make more sense. She needs to look at her payslips to see what the breakdown is. If SSP not mentioned then she needs to look at her employment contract to truly find out when SSP does start. In most cases it is included in the OSP, so if contract not clear - ask her HR/pay dept. Until she knows that she will not know when 28 weeks are up.

notanewuser

It's amazing how many people get better when they are close to half pay kicking in.