Clarification of SSP, Linked Periods and rates

CYPER

Hi everyone,

So I got my latest payslip and I think the company has paid me less SSP. Here are the facts:

Been working for the same company since December 2014
Regular shifts = 9 to 5, Monday to Friday, Full Time
Payment is normally on 23rd each month
On August payslip which provides payment for July I got £240.08 SSP
Here is spreadsheet showing when I worked and when I was sick.

My argument is that 29th June to 8th July and 14th to 31st July are linked periods. I should not get paid for 29th, 30th and 1st, but for all of the days after than which are 17 in total.
And because my normal working days are Mon-Fri then my daily rate is 88.45/5 = £17.69
So 17x£17.69 = £300.73

I spoke with the payroll department and was told that they divided 88.45 by 7 days to get the daily rate and then multiplied by 19 days to get £240.08.

Am I right or wrong?
Thank you.

NYM

Have you tried using the Gov.UK - calculate SSP

I've not used it but just thought it might help you.

CYPER

NYM wrote: »

Have you tried using the Gov.UK - calculate SSP

I've not used it but just thought it might help you.

I did use it and for some unknown reason it will not recognize the first sick period and link it with the 2nd.

NYM

Any two periods of incapacity for work that are separated by eight weeks (56 days) or less are linked. In other words, they are treated as one whole period for SSP purposes.

Qualifying days are the only days for which SSP can be paid. These are the days you normally work, or are rostered to work.

SSP is not paid for the first three qualifying days in any period of incapacity for work. For example, if you are sick from Sunday to Friday, and you normally work from Monday to Friday, then the qualifying days are only the three normal days of work, that is, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. This means you receive just two days' SSP that week.

NYM

I think your calculation is correct...:)

Darksparkle

Your OP says 15th but the screen print says 14th?

CYPER

NYM wrote: »

I think your calculation is correct...:)

Thank you.

Darksparkle wrote: »

Your OP says 15th but the screen print says 14th?

My mistake. I edited the OP to say 14th.

CYPER

Anyone else to provide some feedback?

NYM

There's a table on this Link

chrisbur

CYPER wrote: »

I did use it and for some unknown reason it will not recognize the first sick period and link it with the 2nd.

The SSP calculator only does one period of sickness at a time so if you put in the details of your first PIW 29 June to last day of sickness 8, 9 or 10 July using 5 qualifying days ( ie working Monday to Friday) you will get SSP due of £88.45.
You then do the second period of sickness and as you have you get £212.28 which added to the first period which was £ 88.45 you get a total of £300.73.

You only need to work out a daily rate if a part week is due. Any week where you are off sick for the all the qualifying days in that week is paid at the weekly rate of £88.45. Any part week that has to be paid at the daily rate is calculated by dividing the weekly rate by the number of qualifying days in the week.

If your employer is saying that you have 7 Qualifying days in a week then any full week must be paid at £88.45 and any part week at 1/7 of £88.45 per day.
So in this case we would have 29 June to 1 July is the three waiting days. 2 July to 8 July one full week so £88.45 and possibly plus possibly another £12.64 or £25.28 if sickness continued to either 9 July or 10 July
For the second linking period we have 14 July to 31 July which is 2 full weeks and four days so £88.45 * 2 plus £ 50.55 a total of £315.90 plus anything that might be due for 9 or 10 July.

If you say qualifying days are 5 then the daily rate is £88.45/5 the weekly rate is £88.45 no payment is made for the first 3 days in any unlinked PIW and no payment is made for the non-qualifying days.
If you say qualifying days are 7 then the daily rate is £88.45/7 the weekly rate is still £88.45 no payment is made for the first 3 days in any unlinked PIW and there are no non-qualifying days.

You are entitled to ask for a written explanation of your SSP from your employer and if you still disagree with it can contact HMRC about it....
"If you still disagree, you can phone HM Revenue & Customs Statutory
Payments Dispute team on 03000 560 630 for advice. "