For your employees to qualify for SSP payments they must meet the qualifying conditions below:
• They will need to have done some work for you under the terms of their employment contract before they take time off sick
• In order to be entitled there must be a Period of incapacity for work (PIW). This means four days in a row when the employee cannot work because of illness, these do not need to be normally working days weekends will be included
• The days they are to be paid SSP for must be qualifying days – ie the days they would normally work.
• Their earnings must be at least as much as the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance contributions (NICs). This is £107 a week for 2012-13
• They can’t have already received the maximum amount of SSP for the PIW – or for a series of linked PIWs (28 weeks)
• They must have notified you about their sickness within seven days
• They must give you evidence of their illness, if you require it
