Who qualifies for SSP
SSP is for employees, including many part-time, agency and zero-hours workers, who are too ill to do their job. Your employer pays it through payroll in the usual way, and it is taxed like your wages.
You will not get SSP if you are self-employed, because there is no employer to pay it. Rules on qualifying days and earnings have been reformed recently, so check GOV.UK for how they apply to you today.
- Employees on permanent or fixed-term contracts
- Many agency and zero-hours workers
- Not available to the self-employed
How long SSP lasts
SSP can be paid for up to 28 weeks. For the first seven days off, you can tell your employer you are ill without a doctor's note. After that, you need a fit note from your GP or another healthcare professional.
Short illnesses close together can be linked into one period, which counts towards the 28 week limit. Your employer's HR or payroll team can tell you where you stand.
If you have more than one job, each employer looks at your eligibility separately. You might get SSP from one and not the other, depending on your contract and earnings, so ask each payroll team.
Company sick pay on top
Many employers pay more than the minimum through their own sick pay scheme. A common pattern is full pay for a set number of weeks, then half pay, then SSP only. Your contract or staff handbook will set out your entitlement.
Look this up now, while you are well. Knowing exactly when your pay would drop tells you how long your savings need to last, and which income protection deferred period fits.
Company sick pay is sometimes discretionary, meaning your employer decides case by case. If your contract says it may pay, rather than it will pay, treat SSP as the only sum you can rely on when you plan your cover.
What happens when SSP runs out
If you are still unable to work after 28 weeks, SSP stops. You may be able to claim state benefits such as New Style Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit, depending on your National Insurance record, savings and household income.
Your employer should send you a form explaining that SSP is ending, which you can use for a benefit claim.
A long absence can also raise questions about your job. Your employer may start a process to look at whether you can return, sometimes with adjustments to your role or hours. Getting employment advice early helps if this happens.
How Hi Tomorrow helps you plan around sick pay
We ask what your employer would pay and for how long, then line up income protection to start when that sick pay drops. That way you are not paying for cover you do not need early on. If you only get SSP, a shorter waiting period usually makes sense, and we compare the options across our panel.