NHS sickness policy urgent advice

[Tracyuk89]

I'd be grateful for any advice you can offer.

My brother who was a nurse for 6 years had a break down following the sudden death of his wife. He was signed off for 6 months, he returned for a few weeks then was signed off again until now as he wasn't coping. He also suffered severe depression in the past but has been doing really well since he started a family.

He has 6m full pay entitlement and 6m half pay entitlement of sick pay which is due to end in March according to a payroll letter he was sent. He was sent another letter today stating that his ssp ended in December 9th and he must now claim benefits from DWP.

We are unsure as to where he stands with his job if he is still employed and can return even after he claims Esa, if this ssp form means his employement has ended and why his job are not paying him his half pay entitlement until it ends in March? Does he need to continue to send sick notes to his employer or dwp? He has employed his payroll and HR departments they've not been helpful at all and not answering these questions.

We are trying to reduce his stress level and help him recover but we are not sure if we should challenge his work or whether to just fill in the ssp form so he can claim benefits?

He was hoping to return to the NHS in April.

”We are unsure as to where he stands with his job if he is still employed and can return even after he claims Esa, if this ssp form means his employement has ended”

It doesn’t mean his employment has ended, it just means his SSP entitlement has been exhausted. SSP is only payable for up to (I think) 28 weeks, or about that. I assume his enhanced sick pay entitlement is inclusive of SSP but if he is entitled to a year of sick leave paid at first full pay then half pay, the fact that the SSP element has run out doesn’t affect that.

”why his job are not paying him his half pay entitlement until it ends in March?”

Have they actually said that?

”Does he need to continue to send sick notes to his employer or dwp?”

Yes, if he’s not fit for work he needs to continue sending fit notes in.

It sounds like a standard letter triggered by the end of SSP, but it’s astonishing that HR and payroll were unable to confirm such basic things as he hasn’t been sacked and he will continue to be paid according to his contract. What exactly did they say when he contacted them?

Is he receiving his payslips, if so is it showing a NHS wage.