If you were working for an employer and earning enough to be relevant for National Insurance (NI) purposes (this is lower than the amount when you have to start paying NI contributions): Paid by your employer Paid for up to 28 weeks

What is it?

Paid by your employer

Paid for up to 28 weeks

Can I get it?

Were you: Sick for at least 4 days in a row including weekends and bank holidays? Employed when you became sick? Earning enough on average for it to be relevant for NI purposes (this amount is lower than the amount when you have to start paying NI contributions)?

If YES to all, claim SSP. If you want to know how much you have to earn for it to be relevant for NI purposes, contact your Inland Revenue office.What else should I know?

You can get SSP for up to 28 weeks in one spell of sickness. Spells of at least 4 days in a row with 8 weeks or less between them are counted as one spell. If you have more than one job you may be entitled to SSP from each employer.If SSP ends, claim Incapacity Benefit.

How much will I get?

Please refer to the link below which will give details of the current rates:

www.ir.gov.uk/employers/employee_sick.htm

How do I claim?

Ask your employer about SSP. If you cannot get SSP or your SSP has ended ask your employer for form SSP1, which they should fill in and give to you. You will need to send this form to your local social security office with your claim for Incapacity Benefit.

Employers: You can download a Statutory Sick Pay Form - for employers to explain why they cannot pay SSP

For details on how to administer and pay SSP, visit the Inland Revenue website at: www.ir.gov.uk/employers/employee_sick.htm

You can download form SSP1 in PDF. This form does not apply in Northern Ireland. Please choose a form from the options below.

If you want to fill in the form on screen.

Please note: that this form is currently unavailable - please contact your local Social Security Office for a claim form or click on the link below to print out a form to fill in with a pen.

This form only works in version 4, or above, of Adobe Acrobat reader which can be downloaded free of charge at: www.open.gov.uk/howto/howto.htm

We recommend that you save this file to your computer hard disk or a floppy disk before completing it. To save a copy of the file to disk right click with your mouse on the link below and choose the 'Save Target As' option. You can not save the form once you have opened it in an internet browser. After you have completed the form on screen, you will have to print and sign it.

If you want to print out a form to fill in with a pen (88k) PDF

The form comes with notes that will help you fill in the form and tell you what to do.

I am already getting it. What happens if:

I go into hospital?
SSP is not affected however long you are in hospital.

I go to live abroad or to visit?
If you work abroad you may be able to get SSP if your employer is liable to pay NI contributions for you. If you go abroad to visit, SSP can still be paid provided you can prove you are still sick. Most other benefits are affected if you are going abroad. You can get "more information" about certain countries through this link.

I am part of a service family living abroad or visiting?
Serving members of the Armed Forces cannot get SSP, but members of their families may be able to get it. See above.

More information

To get more information or leaflets, get in touch with your social security office or Inland Revenue office. Other help available from DWP

Incapacity Benefit
Income Support
Housing Benefit
Council Tax Benefit

Remember that this information is only a general guide to benefits and schemes and is not a full and authoritative statement of the law. We have made every effort to ensure that the information on this website is correct at the date it was updated. However, changes in the law may make the website become gradually less accurate.

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