Dismissal after 7months sick leave & Medical insurance through work...

ggloria007

Hello, 
I am currently recovering from a cancer (finished radiotherapy, chemo etc) and suffer from severe fatigue as well as Lymphedema. I have been off work from March 2022 (almost 7 months). My SSP has been expired after 28 weeks and also my company sick pay will expire after 20 Sept. I am now really struggling to make a decission whether to go back on the 21st Sept. Genuinly I am not feeling good enough. The Oncologist said I would need another 6 months to recoved from the Severe fatugue. I wonder what is going to happen once my Company sick pay expires. Am I going to be dismissed? I have worked for them over 19 years. I also have BUPA insurance which is worth a gold to me as I am receiving all tretments with BUPA. Is my medical insurance going to stop when I stop receiving "salary"? My understanding is that if my Medical insurance stops it will be impossible to get the new insurance as my cancer will be classes as pre-existing condition. So my company would need the keep paying for me? Will they do this for next 6 months when I am not working? Or should I offer to pay them to keep BUPA continualy active. If anything I would need to go back to work just to make my BUPA going but I really do not feel ready. What is your advice? 

ggloria007

I would like to also let you know that I have been on Company sick pay (100%) couple of months and they have reduced my salary (50%) without informing me end of July. (21st of September, is my own assumption of when the 50% will ceased)... Nobody from HR or Payroll contacted me (Though I have regular meetings with Occupational Health and on regular emails with my line manager). This worries me to death, if they didn’t contact me about reduction of salary, with such negligence they also might stop my BUPA soon and I might need to pay some treatments and appoitnments with consultants myself???????/   

ggloria007

thank you Teddy

janer1967

Hi and welcome

Your company sick pay policy will be stated in your terms and conditions so they don't actually have to inform you when you'd pay reduces or ends though it is good practice to do so 

If your employment ends then your bupa will end but usually bupa will contact you or your employer will giving you an option to take over the policy 

You should have a policy document which will explain terms etc nobody here will know answer as all policies are different 

As for your employment it won't necessarily end when sick pay ends again your company should have a policy which you can request regarding long term absence 

Some will keep you employed if there is a likely return to work at some stage 

Sorry to be vague but it is down to your company policies 

You might want to take a look at acas website for advice on employment issues 

Your first step would be to request a meeting with hr or your manager to discuss your concerns and options 

calcotti

The arrangements for contractual sick pay are set out in your contract of employment. Many people have no entitlement to sick pay other than SSP. Your contract will say whether or not you are entitled to a period of full pay and/or half pay.

Once your SSP ends you can, if you have full NI record for tax years 2019-20 and 2020-21, claim new style ESA. Any ongoing contractual sick pay beyond the SSP period will not affect ESA. You will need form SSP1, which confirms the SSP end date, from your employer and a Fit Note to claim ESA.

If the BUPA insurance is through your employer only your employer/insurer can advise you on the arrangements. It would be perverse for the support to finish part way through treatment but I have no knowledge of how such things work.

ggloria007

thank you Jener and cacotti

L_Volunteer

You are welcome @ggloria007. It is the very least you deserve. Please don't hesitate to let us know if we can do anything else to support you. We are all here for you