Government support for businesses who are paying sick pay to employees

HMRC have said that they will bring forward legislation to allow SME businesses and employers to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) paid for sickness absence due to COVID-19. The eligibility criteria for the scheme will be as follows:

• The refund will cover up to 2 weeks’ SSP per eligible employee who has been off work because of COVID-19
• Employers with fewer than 250 employees will be eligible – the size of an employer being determined by the number of people they employed as of 28 February 2020
• Employers will be able to reclaim expenditure for any employee who has claimed SSP (according to the new eligibility criteria) as a result of COVID-19
• Employers should maintain records of staff absences and payments of SSP, but employees will not need to provide a GP fit note
• The eligible period for the scheme will commence the day after the regulations on the extension of SSP to those staying at home comes into force
• The Government will work with employers over the coming months to set up the repayment mechanism for employers as soon as possible.