Exceptions


Certain categories of people are excluded from SSP entitlement. If you are in any of these categories, your employer must supply you with form SSP1, giving details of your exclusion, within seven days of your illness. You will need this form SSP1 if you wish to claim ESA (see page 46). 


You will not qualify if you have received the maximum amount of SSP (28 weeks) or are getting Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or Maternity Allowance (MA).


If you have regular periods of sickness, they may count as “linked”. To be linked, the periods must qualify for SSP by lasting four or more days each, and be eight weeks or less apart.


You are no longer eligible for SSP if you have a continuous series of linked periods of sickness that lasts more than three years.


Your entitlement to SSP covers any period of illness up to a maximum of 28 weeks. After this period, you should be transferred to ESA if you are still off work through illness or injury, as long as you meet the necessary contribution conditions for that benefit. If you do not meet the conditions, you may be able to claim Income Support (IS) (see page 34). UC is gradually replacing ESA and IS (see Chapter 1).