Sickness Benefits

Sickness Benefit represents periodical cash payments made to an IP during the period of certified sickness occurring in a benefit period when IP requires medical treatment and attendance with abstention from work on medical grounds. Prescribed certificates are; Forms 7 & 8. Sickness benefit is 70% of the average daily wages and is payable for 91 days during 2 consecutive benefit periods.

Qualifying Conditions

(i) To become eligible to Sickness Benefit, an IP should have paid contribution for not less than 78 days during the corresponding contribution period.

(ii) A person who has entered into insurable employment for the first time has to wait for 9 months before becoming eligible to sickness benefit, because his corresponding benefit period starts only after that interval.

(iii) Sickness Benefit is not payable for the first two days of a spell of sickness except in case of a spell commencing within 15 days of closure of earlier spell for which sickness benefit was last paid. This period of 2 days is called "waiting period". This provision should be clearly understood by IMOs/IMPs as actual experience shows that such of IPs who want to avail medical leave on flimsy grounds generally come for First Certificate/First & Final Certificate within 15 days of earlier spell, usually on unpaid holidays and/or on each weekly off etc, to avoid loss of benefit for 2 days due to fresh waiting period.