Directors and SSP

Jobcentre tells director she cannot claim SSP

Didn't find your answer?

A director on £120.00 per week is told by Jobcentre plus she is not eligible for SSP or any other benefit because she is a director. I know this has been covered before but cannot find the definition of employee as per Euan's answer of 6th March 2014 https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/any-answers/ssp-and-directors

The booklet doesn't seem to be there any more or I'm looking in the wrong place

 Have the rules changed? or is there something else she can claim instead. Would she be eligible for ESA? She is recovering from a cancer operation and is unlikely to work for many months and so no income at all.

Replies (7)

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RLI
By lionofludesch
01st Dec 2016 17:18

Jobcentre's talking rubbish. If your client has asked the right question.....

Assuming she's been paid £120 continuously and not just started, she gets £88.45 a week after the first three "waiting" days.

But the company needs to pay her - not the Jobcentre. This may be where the confusion lies.

Sounds like she'll need to apply for funding from HMRC if she hasn't any PAYE payments from which to deduct the SSP

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Replying to lionofludesch:
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By jaffe123
01st Dec 2016 17:52

A company cannot reclaim SSP anymore

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Replying to jaffe123:
RLI
By lionofludesch
01st Dec 2016 17:56

Doh !!

Of course it can't!! Just shows how long it is since I had someone pay SSP on a payroll

Mea culpa.

Yes, it's the classic Catch 22 - she can get SSP but she has to fund it out of her own company's money.

OP - I do apologise. What I said was rubbish.

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By ruth.julian
01st Dec 2016 17:17

There is usually someone at the hospital where she is being treated who can advise on what benefits are available and help fill in the application forms. My late husband was helped in this way at Christies Hospital, Manchester. She could ask either her consultant or their support nurses.

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By lesley.barnes
02nd Dec 2016 10:01

I'm not sure how much this was strictly within the DWP rules or whether it was someone at the job centre being helpful but I had a director in the same boat. The money from the company reserves ran out because he was too ill to work and he drew SSP through the payroll. When there was nothing left he went to the job centre and someone rang me to check out his circumstances whilst he was there. They told me they had referred this to their manager and had advised him to get his company to sack him as an employee. He sacked himself, got a P45 and then received benefits until he was able to go back to work.

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Replying to lesley.barnes:
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By jaffe123
02nd Dec 2016 10:37

Thanks for your reply. Do you know what reason they gave for the sacking for it not to affect any benefits claim?

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By lesley.barnes
02nd Dec 2016 11:30

They didn't suggest they needed any reason. I suppose he was sacked because the company didn't have any work. My client eventually closed his company down and when he was well enough to work he went self employed.

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