SSP1 Form - Statutory Sick Pay

Foresure

I have terminal cancer and have been on sick leave for over a year.

My Statutory Sick Pay ended in August 2025 but my employer never provided my SSP1 form, which is required to claim ESA. I chased this in January 2026 and continued chasing for over a month with no resolution.

I contacted HMRC and they confirmed that employers are legally required to provide an SSP1 form, but they also said in their experience it often isn’t worth pursuing a tribunal because the employer can simply provide the form at the last minute.

The SSP1 is a simple one-page form, but withholding it can delay or potentially cause loss of benefits for the employee.

I believe there should be financial penalties for employers who withhold SSP1 forms, as my experience is the consequences fall entirely on vulnerable employees who may already be in very difficult situations.

Just to confirm, HMRC acted promptly and they provided me with my SSP1.

I would be interested in how many others have had my experience with there employer.

TimeLord1

Request Backdating: When submitting the SSP1 to the DWP, explicitly request that your ESA claim be backdated to August 2025. You can argue that the delay was due to "circumstances beyond your control" (the employer’s failure to provide the legally required form).

Sorry you're going through this are you in contact with

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/benefits-and-financial-support?hl=en-GB

They're very helpful and will speed up the process.