To think this Statutory Sick Pay rule is a joke?

[muggglewump]

I've been off work for a week, and am signed off or another with pneumonia.
The doctor is talking longer before I'll be fit for work again and has said at every appointment (5, so far) that I'm very close to hospital.

My employer doesn't pay sick pay, and as I have found out, you are not eligible for SSP unless you earn £97 a week. I don't earn that.

Why, just fucking why?

Surely they could link it to the tax credit rule for single parents ie. 16 hours at minimum wage?

I work 16 hours, at slightly more than minimum wage but that's not enough.

Who made that rule?

'Oh, they don't earn much, they can pay the bills with nothing if they are ill'

I have applied for ESA, but the not very helpful woman on the phone couldn't tell me if I'm eligble, may be eligible, sound eligible, or anything really.

I feel like I'm being punished all over again, even though I came off benefits to work, and I work hard in a pantsy job.

No one?
Anyone?

I'll settle for just a small amount of outrage?

always the way - kick the poorest when they're trying to do their utmost

Hey Muggle, sorry to hear your so poorly. Its crap isn't it, my employer doesn't pay sick pay, I had to take two days off not so long ago and it really hit my pay packet

Hope someone comes along with advice about the SSP, I don't really know much about it

xx

yanbu that is ridiculous

It is crap, isn't it muggle.
As if being ill isn't bad enough.

it is because you don't pay NI contributions, and are therefore not entitled to contributions based benefits.

here would imply that you are eligible for ESA.

Hi, you might not qualify for income related ESA because your WTC would be counted as income, however if you recieve housing and council tax benefit you should contact them imediatly as they will renew your entitlement, and because your income just now is only WTC and CTC (i assume) you will probebly get most of your rent and council tax paid untill you return to work.

I do pay NI, well according to my payslip.

I don't want to get benrfits, I just want to be entitled to pay when I'm ill as a working person, and I'm bloody pissed off that you have to earn over a certain amount to qualify.
I don't get it, especially as it isn't linked to the 16 hours thing.

It does look like I'm entitled to ESA which is something, and I'm of course grateful but still, whoever makes these stupid, and ridiculous rules, always leaving the poorest worse off needs to have a rethink.

My job is crap, it really is but it's great for me, the hours fit, I have all the overtime I want, my boss couldn't be better, she goes out of her way for me, in fact she visited for the fourth time today bringing chocolate and making me tea!, but still, I feel punished for trying, and for doing a part time low paid job, instead of no job.

Oh, and the outrage is appreciated. I need outrage right now.

That would be a help if I could get extra Housing and Council Tax Benefit.
I didn't realise that and will phone them tomorrow, thank you.

Unfortunately I'm not improving much, I'm back at the Doctor in Friday and fineish if I sit and do nothing but that's about it.
The minute I attempt to do anything I'm gasping for breath.
I'm swollen beyond belief with steroids too and my Dad told me today my skin looks grey.
Gee thanks Dad.

I'm just bored and frustrated and feeling guilty as DD is bored too and having to help around the house.

That seems really unfair
surely people on a lower wage are going to be more in need of the sick pay because they wont be likely to have money left over from previous month???
Really for you, i hope you can sort something out, & get well soon

You'd think wouldn't you?
They want single parents to go back to work and they make the 16 hour rule but then don't link SSP into it and I can't understand why.

I would far rather be well and at work, I am not choosing to be at home but I have bills and they need to be paid and this system is meaning I don't know if and when they will get paid.

It's a crock.

£97 per week is the NI limit, you should only be paying NI if you are earning more than £97 per week.

although the 09/10 limit was £95 per week, so you could have just fallen into NI for 09/10, but not be eligible now if you earn between £95-97.
That would be really unfair.

has got me wondering how this interacts with WTC - are you still eligible for WTC if you aren't earning because you are sick.

Is insane system.

I often do overtime so perhaps that's why I pay NI?
I am only contracted for 16 hours, over three days and that's all I can claim for obviously so that's why I fall short of the £97.

I don't know if I am still eligible for WTC, I didn't think I had to inform them I was signed off, but I will just in case. I don't want to get into any trouble.

And see, if I could just get SSP and leave the rest alone it would be fine, but nooooooo, I don't earn enough money to be ill.

God fuck your damn stupid rules and all who damn made them.

(I'm cross)

are you sure you don't qualify then?

It is based on average earnings over a period and includes any overtime etc here.

I was off work for a month with pneumonia 6 years ago, I earned a little more then £97 a week so recieved ssp. The first payment I recieved was about £150, I thought that this was ok as it was roughly what I earned so i could cover the bills but then I didn't recieve any more. I queried it, it turned out the ssp was somthing stupid like £4 a day so I had recieved all 4 weeks worth at once. It left me unable to pay my son's childcare costs and unable to pay my rent. It's crap, it's better then nothing though, it's unfair that you are expected to live off thin air.

I hope you are feeling better soon.

I'm sure, I can only claim on my normal hours and though I do lots of overtime, that doesn't count.
I discussed it today with both the Job Center, and then the Call Center I had to call to apply for the ESA

Yes BelleDeLongName, it's shite, just shite.
I am ill, I can't afford to be ill and I have no idea what to do next.
My work are brilliant, I can't fault them at all but I work for a big company so my boss nor Manager can do much, their hands are tied.

I am still outraged at SSP being linked to less than 16 hours at minimum wage.

I want to feel better, I'm bloody fed up with feeling like shit, of just keeping things together, of giving DD ready made meals from the shop.
I want to eat everything in sight due to the steroids, but the antibiotics mean I shit out even water and I have really bad thrush which I can't treat because I'm still on antibiotics.
I can put on and lose 5lbs a day with water retention, I look grey, I feel sick and I have a horrible bitter taste in my mouth.

I just want to be well.

Can I cry just a little bit?

but according to direct.gov and HMRC website the overtime DOES qualify.

It is average earnings in the 8-week period, not basic wages.

Have YOU checked your average earnings for those 8 weeks based on your payslips?

Sorry to bang on about this, but if you are paying NI and have done for most of those 8 weeks then you should qualify.

You can cry all you want, it's allowed. Your best bet for the nibbles is to eat cucumber, it takes more energy to digest it then it gives you so will help you loose weight. The nibbles are also caused by the steriods needing protein in order for them to work so you need to make sure you have a high protein diet (lots of chicken etc). Don't worry about the ready meals, it's not a regular occurance, she won't mind. It sounds like the antibiotics are too strong for you, it's worthwhile going back to the GP and changing them, the diarrhoea can also be caused by the steriods so it's worthwhile getting it checked. As for the thrush, if it's oral (in your mouth) try sucking on a bit of raw garlic, it works wonders. You will be well, now's time to look after you though. I know the lack of money doesn't help though, you may be able to claim income support for the time that you are sick, this should help. You can call the benefits agency, their number is on their web site.

I really do hope you are feeling better soon. Eat alot of meat!

I did say I'd done lots of overtime, they said it didn't count.
I will dig out my payslips and see if I've done enough to qualify.
Again, thank you, MNetters are so helpful, I just accepted what they told me.

I don't want to eat cucumber, I want to eat takeaways and eclairs and cheesecake and McDonalds and Foie Gras and bread, ooh, lovely ciabatta with butter, in fact I want to eat a whole piece of butter and some brie with a side of sausages.
I'd do it if it wasn't for the fact that I'd shit for Britain with the first mouthful.

The thrush is oral and under, cottage cheese is gathering, it's not fun and I've tried everything natural to treat it.
I asked the Doctor today but he says I need the tablets and they are important so tough (he didn't actually say tough, but that's what he means and I do understand).
I cant even sit still as I'm squirming.
I hate this.
I may go and cry some more.

I should've asked if I could drink vodka, that might help, not that I have any, the strongest alcohol I have is some out of date cough medicine that smells like old socks.
I don't think I'll bother.

when you've got your payslips together stick it through the HRMC SSP calculator to check. If it shows you are eligible then your employer has to pay it.

Hope you feel better soon

This sounds gross. But have you tried a tampon dipped in live natural yoghurt...

Slightly OT but similar... when I was pg with DD I fell underneath the NI limit and found out that I wasn't eligible for maternity pay (you cannot imagine the panic at the time, what I earned was little but bloody essential) As it turns out the period they calculate the maternity pay from, we got a bonus at work, so for that 8 week period it pushed me into NI territory. I got my maternity pay and I ended getting paid more than I usually earned. Overtime and bonuses definitely counted in that case, and I can't see why SSP would be any different. You pay NI, it's irrelevant that it's over your contracted hours, you've paid it.

mugglewump I think they are getting a bit confused. They are right that overtime doesn't count for SSP purposes in one sense. That is that if you are contracted for 3 days per week, but often work 4 or 5 or even 6, you can still only claim SSP for your contracted days, so 3 days.

However, qualifying for SSP in the first place is determined by your earnings for the last 8 weeks. So the extra 4th, 5th or 6th day does count in terms of earnings, and so qualifying you for SSP for the 3 days of your contract.

Definitely contact the council re: HB & CTB, because your entitlement will skyrocket for those weeks, although you will probably need payslips to prove it (It is calculated in arrears anyway).