Need help? Advice during COVID-19 crisis Employment advice What do I get if I am too sick to work? If you are eligible, you can get £95.85 per week Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if you’re too ill to work or you are self-isolating. It’s paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks. You may also be eligible for Company sick pay and details of this will be in your contract or company handbook. Company sick pay also contains an element of SSP for the first 28 weeks. To qualify for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) you must: Be classed as an employee and have done some work for your employer Earn an average of at least £120 per week Have been ill for at least 4 days in a row (including non-working days) PLEASE NOTE FOR COVID -19 cases this is now from day 1 If you are staying at home because of COVID-19 you can now also get SSP. This includes individuals who are caring for people in the same household and therefore have been advised to do a household quarantine. The government have legislated for SSP to be paid from day 1, rather than day 4, of your absence from work if you are absent from work due to sickness or need to stay at home due to COVID-19. This will apply retrospectively from 13 March 2020. This means that your employer can make payments now for absences as far back as 13 March 2020. You should inform your employer immediately if you are not able to work because you are self-isolating or have symptoms of the virus. If you have COVID-19 or are advised to stay at home, you can get an ‘isolation note’ by visiting NHS 111 online, rather than visiting a doctor. For COVID-19 cases this replaces the usual need to provide a ‘fit note’ (sometimes called a ‘sick note’) after 7 days of sickness absence. To check your sick pay entitlement, you should talk to your employer or visit the Government’s www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay for more information. You should also check your contract of employment or staff handbook to see if your employer offers company sick pay. If you have a drop in income as a result of going onto SSP you may be entitled to claim additional benefits. Please ring our benefits helpline. You may also be able to apply for a mortgage payment holiday or help with your rent, please see our housing information.