Changes to SSP

The new Coronavirus Bill has provided changes to SSP.

The new scheme will:

• Refund SME employers for the cost of SSP payments made to employees self isolating because of coronavirus.
• SSP will be payable from the first day of sickness absence rather than the fourth day.            
• Coronavirus Bill provides a framework for further regulations to be made – the regulations will provide the detail that recruiters and other businesses have been waiting for.

The chancellor stated in the budget that the refund scheme would be for employers with 250 or fewer ‘employees’. We are still waiting for clarification about whether this will include temporary workers on the payroll.

The Coronavirus Bill does state that the amount of SSP could be paid up front to eligible employers, rather than employers having to claim a refund.

It may also be possible for amounts over and above the SSP amount limit to be paid to employers but again, we need to wait for the regulations to clarify that position.