Employer refunds of SSP

Small and medium-sized companies can apply to HMRC for a refund of the cost of paying statutory sick pay (SSP) to their employees. The Statutory Sick Pay (Coronavirus) (Funding of Employers’ Liabilities) Regulations, SI 2020/512 will enable eligible employers to reclaim the costs of SSP up to a certain threshold where an employee’s incapacity for work is related to coronavirus. Refunds are payable in respect of periods of incapacity for work where the first day of coronavirus-related incapacity for work arose on or after 13 March 2020. Equivalent regulations are made in Northern Ireland (SI 2020/513). The government expects to launch a new online service for refunds on 26 May.