Information Technology Coursework
Benefit Systems
Sickness Benefit
What benefits are there?
* Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
* Incapacity Benefit
How do they help?
The basic thinking behind sickness and incapacity benefits is that they provide some national scheme to protect employed people. For short contract workers or those with no formal contract there would be no way of claiming for lost earnings without these schemes. They therefore provide a safety net available to every employed person and ensure that some income is gained even if you cannot work.
Statutory Sick Pay is available for periods of sickness up to 28 weeks. Your employer pays it directly, normally along with your normal earnings. To claim you must be employed and have been off work due to sickness for more than 4 days in a row. You must also have been earning enough to contribute to National Insurance (over £67 a week). If a person has more than one job, normally they will be entitled to SSP from each employer. In summary, SSP is the solution for short and medium term sickness and absence from work.
Incapacity benefit is normally claimed if an employed person is absent from work due to sickness or inability to work for more than 28 days. Again you must have paid National Insurance contributions to claim (except under exceptional circumstances for young workers under 25). You can also claim incapacity benefit if you are not entitled to SSP. There are different types of incapacity benefit, each with its own specifications.
These are:
* Short Term at the lower rate- paid if you are not entitled to SSP or qualify under the special rules for people under 25
* Short Term at the higher rate- paid if you have been sick or unable to work for between 28 and 52 weeks.
* Long Term- paid for periods of sickness or inability to work over 52 weeks.
Incapacity benefit is not paid to those people over state pension age unless they began claiming benefit before reaching state pension age.
Benefit Amounts
Currently if a sick person average earnings are sufficient to pay National Insurance they will be entitled to:
SSP
£62.20 a week
Or £248.80 per 4 week period
Or £1741.60 over 28 weeks
Benefit Systems
Sickness Benefit
What benefits are there?
* Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
* Incapacity Benefit
How do they help?
The basic thinking behind sickness and incapacity benefits is that they provide some national scheme to protect employed people. For short contract workers or those with no formal contract there would be no way of claiming for lost earnings without these schemes. They therefore provide a safety net available to every employed person and ensure that some income is gained even if you cannot work.
Statutory Sick Pay is available for periods of sickness up to 28 weeks. Your employer pays it directly, normally along with your normal earnings. To claim you must be employed and have been off work due to sickness for more than 4 days in a row. You must also have been earning enough to contribute to National Insurance (over £67 a week). If a person has more than one job, normally they will be entitled to SSP from each employer. In summary, SSP is the solution for short and medium term sickness and absence from work.
Incapacity benefit is normally claimed if an employed person is absent from work due to sickness or inability to work for more than 28 days. Again you must have paid National Insurance contributions to claim (except under exceptional circumstances for young workers under 25). You can also claim incapacity benefit if you are not entitled to SSP. There are different types of incapacity benefit, each with its own specifications.
These are:
* Short Term at the lower rate- paid if you are not entitled to SSP or qualify under the special rules for people under 25
* Short Term at the higher rate- paid if you have been sick or unable to work for between 28 and 52 weeks.
* Long Term- paid for periods of sickness or inability to work over 52 weeks.
Incapacity benefit is not paid to those people over state pension age unless they began claiming benefit before reaching state pension age.
Benefit Amounts
Currently if a sick person average earnings are sufficient to pay National Insurance they will be entitled to:
SSP
£62.20 a week
Or £248.80 per 4 week period
Or £1741.60 over 28 weeks
