OSP and SSP

caveman38

If say you work for a local council and are off sick long term. You benefit from full OSP for 6 months but are still sick after that. OSP can continue for a further 6 months, but. Can the employer also add SSP to that making the sickness payment nearer full pay?

LilElvis

Statutory Sick Pay is only payable for a maximum of 28 weeks. After your entitlement to this ends you would have to look at what other benefits you might be entitled to.

caveman38

The person is not claiming SSP. She qualifies for full OSP for the first six months. Following that another 6 months at half pay. Can that half pay be supplemented with SSP?

strawb_shortcake

I'm pretty sure when I have been off sick in the past (public sector) my pay slip has had SSP on it, so I think the OSP includes SSP, the council just make it up to full pay. 

TELLIT01

I suspect the employer will already be including SSP as part of OSP.  You would need to speak to the employer to be sure.

Undervalued

caveman38 said:

The person is not claiming SSP. She qualifies for full OSP for the first six months. Following that another 6 months at half pay. Can that half pay be supplemented with SSP?

No

The full OSP she received for the first six months would have been in effect SSP "topped up" to full pay. As has been said earlier SSP runs out after 28 weeks so any sick pay after that is OSP according to the employer's terms.

If still unwell she may be able to claim contribution based ESA which is paid directly by the government to those who qualify on medical grounds, regardless of means or other income. There is also a means tested version of ESA but it is very unlikely she would qualify for that whilst still receiving half pay.

By the way, so called SSP is actually paid by the employer, not the government! The days when employers were able to claim the cost back are long gone.

TELLIT01

Assuming SSP was being paid as an element of the full six month OSP, an SSP1 should have been issued to say when SSP is ending.  If the SSP1 is issued it would then be possible to claim New Style ESA assuming they met the qualifying conditions.