On 17 December, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC introduced a temporary extension to the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) self-certification period.
This extension allows employees to self-certify for 28 days (instead of the usual seven days) before being required to provide medical evidence of sickness to their employer.
This temporary extension only applies to periods of sickness beginning on or after 10 December 2021, up to and including absences which begin on or before 26 January 2022. Any absence beginning on or after 27 January will revert back to the SSP self-certification period of seven days.
Typically, when claiming SSP, employees are able to self-certify their illness for absences from work for up to seven days. If the period of absence lasts more than seven days, the employee must provide their employer with a doctor’s fit note. The current rate of SSP is £96.35 a week, which is payable for up to 28 weeks.
This new temporary extension is not just limited to absences caused by COVID-19. Rather, employees can self-certify their ill-health for any sick leave that started on or after 10 December 2021 for a period of 28 days. If the employee continues to be ill and absent from work for more than 28 days, a doctor’s fit note must be provided to their employer as proof of sickness. Employers will not be able to ask for proof of sickness until after 28 days has passed.
This has no effect on reporting requirements for occupational or contractual sick pay beyond SSP. Employers are still able to require their employees to provide fit notes for this enhanced sick pay (so long as it is in line with contractual arrangements).
DWP have explained that this temporary extension has been introduced to reduce the burden on GPs, allowing additional time to focus on the vaccine booster programme. In light of the accelerated spread of the Omicron variant, the NHS is offering all adults a Coronavirus vaccine booster by the end of the year – this has placed significant demand on the NHS and GP practices.
In addition to the above, Rishi Sunak has announced the reintroduction of the SSP Rebate Scheme (SSPRS) which ended on 30 September 2020. This means that from 21 December 2021, employers with fewer than 250 employees (as at 30 November 2021) will be reimbursed SSP for Covid-19 related absences for up to two weeks per employee, regardless of whether they have claimed under the previous SSPRS for that employee.
To qualify, employers must also be UK-based, had a PAYE payroll system as of 30 November 2021 and have already paid their employees’ COVID-19 related SSP.
Employers can claim from the scheme now and will be able to make claims retrospectively from mid-January 2022. The Government will keep the duration of the SSPRS under review.
If you would like to discuss what this temporary extension to the SSP self-certification means for you or your employees, please contact our Employment Team.
