Coronavirus SSP changes and Quickbooks

Hello there, orders10.

I'm here to guide you on how to set up the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in your employee's profile. This way, you'll be able to pay them correctly.

QuickBooks Online (QBO) is designed to make sure you comply with your government. The SSP is already in the system before the Coronavirus SSP is implemented.

SSP is paid at the same time and in the same way as you would pay wages for the same period. See Eligibility and Form SSP1 for employee qualifications (and exceptions) for SSP.

Please note that your employee is paid for the number of Qualifying Days. The first 3 days are known as Waiting Days.

Here's how to set up SSP using the QuickBooks Online Standard Payroll.

1. Go to the Employees menu.
2. Select Employees.
3. Choose the applicable employee.
4. Click the Actions drop-down arrow, then select Employee's Leave.
5. Select Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
6. Enter the First day of leave by clicking the calendar button.
7. If you’re unsure about the Last day of leave, you can choose to set the end date to the best of your knowledge. Anyway, you can always update it anytime. 
8. Click Save.

Once done, you're now set to run your payroll and pay your qualified employees with SSP. I've attached screenshots below for your reference.

If you're using other payroll products such as QuickBooks Online Advanced Payroll or PaySuite you can refer to this article for the complete details: Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in QuickBooks Online Advanced Payroll.

To learn more about SSP, you can check out this article: Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): employer guide. This is a UK government page where you'll be able to know it's overview, entitlement, and employee's eligibility and form SSP1. It also provides additional guidance about Coronavirus and how to protect yourself as well as your employees from it.

Please let me know if you have other concerns. I'm just around to help.

I know SSP existed before but that not what I mean.

With SSP for self isolation or fact an employee gets the virus we now are entitled to pay SSP from day 1 not day 3.

So it's asking how to do this correctly as by your answer it sounds like we will need to fudge it.  So employee is off for 7 days and now entitled to 7 days SSP we would need to say they were off for 10 or 11?

Thank you for clarifying your concern about setting up SSP using the new entitlement, orders10.

You can set up your qualified employees the same as what I've suggested above. Just make sure to input the right date when they've started.

Based on your scenario, the First day of leave will fall on March 2, 2020, and will end on March 10, 2020, since employees are entitled to 7 days SSP. With this, they should be back to work on March 11, 2020.

I'd also recommend consulting with your accountant or with the HMRC to ensure you're recording the SSP correctly. This way, you'll keep your books accurate.

Moreover, I've also added an article for your future reference about managing your employees and payroll in QuickBooks: Help Articles for Payroll. You can toggle between the most viewed and recent articles to get updated. 

You're always welcome to leave a comment below if you have other concerns. I'll gladly help.

I have the same problem.  Before Corona Virus when someone went sick they did not get paid for the first 3 days (waiting days)  now they get SSP on the first day but on quickbooks it does not let you override the waiting days. So how do we change it.

Hi debbiew, thanks for joining this thread - can I check which version of the payroll you are using to advise you on this, Standard or Advanced? 

Like wise, 

I cannot correctly work out SSP as it is not being calculated from day one. 

How can this be corrected. 

Is there a way to manually enter the figure to be paid? 

Hello

HMRC say this is unacceptable and the payroll programme should update to current legislation.  As the UK legislation is "no waiting time  for Corona SSP at present" this should reflect in the software submission.

The version i am using is quick book essentials.

Please can you advise for my version how i can do the payroll? Thank you

HI Wrexham

The Essential is the type of account you have not the payroll system you run. We are not able to adjust our payroll parameters immediately, it takes quite some time. We have not been given any official guidance by HMRC on how our customers should account for the waiting days not to apply. You can of course create the absence as normal, and create an additional payment relating to the waiting days.

When you select employees on the left hand side are you given two further options, employees and payroll or does the employees page state powered by Paysuite or does it have Employees in large letters in the top left of the screen? We will be able to guide you on how to create additional payments or pay your employees a basic wage for the three days.

I really appreciate your quick response.

When i click on Employees, i get 2 options: payroll or employees

If the system isnt allowing us to claim SSP from day 1, only after the 3 waiting days and we enter the 3 waiting days under another payment setting, how will the system ensure we get to recover the full amount of SSP from HMRC?

Chiming in to share additional details about SSP, blackuk20.

It's best to reach out to HMRC to get some guidance on how to account COVID related SSP. That way, you'll get the full amount of SSP from HMRC.

I also have articles here for more details:

• Statutory Sick Pay in PaySuite

• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in QuickBooks Online Advanced Payroll

Please comment again if you have more questions. Have a great day!

I.E. no help at all. The waiting days need to be adjusted to zero.

Have a good day!

 @g-mgordon

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@g-mgordon wrote:

I.E. no help at all. The waiting days need to be adjusted to zero.

Have a good day!

 

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Totally agree - its not HMRC that we need to speak to, it needs to be changed in the software to 0 waiting days, which means then we can claim the full amount back when we submit are monthly returns to hmrc.

I agree this needs to be changed now, HMRC are not going to answer all our calls they are far to busy, this has been put in place and the software should now reflect it, QuickBooks you need to get this sorted straight away, many people will be running payroll this week!!

The HMRC Link to claim directly:

https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/coronavirus-statutory-sick-pay/claim/confirm-employer-scheme

7 months on and it looks like this still hasn't been sorted which is shocking.  How are we supposed to pay people correctly.  I have even tried 'fudging' it by adding 3 days at the start but even that doesn't give the correct answer.

I have found a work around - enter 3 days in linked absences.  Hopefully this won't cause issues with HMRC.