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On the 7th of May 2020, HMRC updated the above guidance which is designed to be used if software does not calculate SSP. This is not totally new guidance but it does give information about SSP eligibility. The confusing guidance about not having to serve waiting days in some instances has been a cause of lots of queries to our helpline. So, we thought that we would share this information to clarify. Employers should refer to the part “Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases”.
Remember that in all instances there is still a requirement to form a period of incapacity for work (PIW). This is four or more consecutive calendar days:
Self-isolation before the 13th of March 2020
SSP payable from the 4th qualifying days as waiting days do have to be served.
Self-isolation from the 13th of March 2020
SSP payable from the 1st qualifying days as waiting days do not have to be served.
Shielding on or after the 16th of April 2020
SSP payable from the 1st qualifying days as waiting days do not have to be served. This is as long as the employee has received a letter from the NHS of a GP advising them that they need to shield.
Global Payroll Association Comment
This clarification is good and timely as it tells employers which employees it will be able to reclaim the first 2 weeks of SSP for. Employers may want to refer to the gov.uk guidance regarding that announcement made on the 11th of March 2020.
But note that the facility to make the reclaim is not available yet. Given the time it has taken to facilitate this, we expect the online claims portal to be smooth and efficient.
On the 7th of May 2020, HMRC updated the above guidance which is designed to be used if software does not calculate SSP. This is not totally new guidance but it does give information about SSP eligibility. The confusing guidance about not having to serve waiting days in some instances has been a cause of lots of queries to our helpline. So, we thought that we would share this information to clarify. Employers should refer to the part “Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases”.
Remember that in all instances there is still a requirement to form a period of incapacity for work (PIW). This is four or more consecutive calendar days:
Self-isolation before the 13th of March 2020
SSP payable from the 4th qualifying days as waiting days do have to be served.
Self-isolation from the 13th of March 2020
SSP payable from the 1st qualifying days as waiting days do not have to be served.
Shielding on or after the 16th of April 2020
SSP payable from the 1st qualifying days as waiting days do not have to be served. This is as long as the employee has received a letter from the NHS of a GP advising them that they need to shield.
Global Payroll Association Comment
This clarification is good and timely as it tells employers which employees it will be able to reclaim the first 2 weeks of SSP for. Employers may want to refer to the gov.uk guidance regarding that announcement made on the 11th of March 2020.
But note that the facility to make the reclaim is not available yet. Given the time it has taken to facilitate this, we expect the online claims portal to be smooth and efficient.