Occupational sick pay and benefits

jo358

I have been on long term sick for almost six months and so the SSP part of my contractual sick pay is due to finish soon,  but I will continue to get half pay for another six months, up until December. HR has sent me a letter about sick pay but I can’t make sense of it - the part I can’t understand is sick pay reducing by the amount of benefit (see below). I get UC and have also just been assessed as LCWRA (I won’t start getting the extra amount for LCWRA  until September). I am off sick with a disability related illness and also shielding until 1 August, and since mid March (shielding letter received from NHS/Government) and my employers are looking to dismiss me on ill health capability. Which benefits are taken into account when reducing the occupational sick pay, does anyone know? 

KatrinaWaves

Occupational sick pay is contractual, so what does your contract state? 

jo358

KatrinaWaves said:

Occupational sick pay is contractual, so what does your contract state? 

calcotti

That doesn’t make sense to me if all benefits would be taken into account.  UC is means tested so is reduced by the sick pay. If the sick pay goes down due to the UC the UC would then go up which would then reduce the sick pay and you’d be stuck in a circular loop.

The only way to clarify what is taken into account is to look at the details of the scheme. You will need more information from your employer. I wonder if it’s an insurance backed scheme with the insurers looking to mitigate their exposure. Possibly they require you to claim new style ESA which is not means tested and they will reduce the sick pay accordingly. You could not claim this while receiving SSP.

KatrinaWaves

Perhaps when DSS existed this would not have been an issue... how long has it been since DSS was a thing? 

jo358

 It’s local authority

calcotti

You need to talk to HR and ask them what it means.