SME employers can claim coronavirus-related SSP from HMRC
A new online service will launch for small and medium-sized employers to recover Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) payments they have made to their employees, the government has announced today.
The Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme will allow SMEs, with fewer than 250 employees, to apply to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to recover the costs of paying coronavirus-related SSP.
With the start date of 26 May, this means they will receive repayments at the relevant rate of SSP that they have paid to current or former employees for eligible periods of sickness starting on or after 13 March.
An HMRC statement said the repayment will cover up to two weeks of SSP, and is payable if an employee is unable to work because they:
- have coronavirus; or
- are self-isolating and unable to work from home; or
- are shielding because they’ve been advised that they’re at high risk of severe illness from coronavirus.
Employers are eligible if they have a PAYE payroll scheme that was created and started before 28 February (2020) and had fewer than 250 employees before the same date.
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