SGK sick pay is a state benefit paid to insured workers who cannot work due to illness, accident, childbirth or maternity. It helps to replace lost income and cover treatment costs. Administered by the Social Security Institution (SGK), this payment is provided under specific conditions. Who can apply for SGK sick pay, how to apply, and how it is calculated? Details follow.
WHAT IS SGK SICK PAY?
SGK sick pay is a payment made to insured workers when they are unable to work. The amount depends on the insured person’s contributions. SGK sick pay is paid regularly and its daily amount is tied to the gross minimum wage. As of 2024, with the minimum wage set at 17,002 TL, the daily SGK sick pay was determined as 333.38 TL.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR SGK SICK PAY
To receive SGK sick pay, workers must meet certain requirements and submit an application. The main conditions are:
- Be a Turkish citizen.
- Be insured and working.
- Have a work incapacity report due to illness, accident, childbirth or maternity approved by an SGK-affiliated health provider.
- Have the work incapacity report approved by SGK.
- Have paid at least 90 days of insurance contributions in the last year before the start date of the incapacity.
- For childbirth or maternity reports, have paid at least 900 days of contributions in the last two years before the report start date.
- For accident-related reports, have paid at least 1,260 days of contributions in the last three years before the report start date.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR SGK SICK PAY?
SGK sick pay is provided to insured workers who meet the conditions listed above. It is available to people covered under the following insurance types:
- 4/a (employees under the SSK)
- 4/b (self-employed under BAĞ-KUR)
- 4/c (public servants under Emekli Sandığı)
Payment rates differ by insurance type: 4/a insured workers receive 60% of the daily gross minimum wage, 4/b insured workers receive 50%, and 4/c insured workers receive 40% of the daily gross minimum wage.
HOW TO APPLY FOR SGK SICK PAY
To apply for SGK sick pay, follow these steps:
- Obtain your work incapacity report within five working days from the start date of incapacity from an SGK-affiliated health facility.
- Submit the report to your employer or directly to SGK. If you give it to your employer, they must notify SGK. If you submit it yourself, you can do so through the e-Government portal or at a provincial/district SGK office.
- Wait for SGK approval. SGK reviews the report and determines the duration and eligibility. Once approved, SGK arranges payment.
- Receive the payment into your bank account. SGK typically deposits sick pay to the beneficiary’s bank account on the 5th of each month; payments are made through banks with SGK agreements.
HOW IS SGK SICK PAY CALCULATED?
Sick pay is calculated based on the insured person’s contributions and the applicable payment rate. Use the following basic formula:
- SGK sick pay = (Daily gross minimum wage x Payment rate x Number of sick days) – Taxes and deductions
Example: assume a 4/a insured worker whose annual gross reference is 20,000 TL and who took 10 days of sick leave in 2024. The calculation would proceed using the daily rate and the 60% payment rate for 4/a workers, then subtract taxes and deductions.
Taxes and deductions typically include income tax, stamp tax and social security contributions. For illustration purposes, some calculations use a 15% deduction rate, but actual rates depend on individual circumstances and current tax rules.
MINIMUM WAGE WORKER SGK SICK PAY CALCULATION 2024
Workers paid at the minimum wage are covered under 4/a. If they receive a work incapacity report due to illness, accident, childbirth or maternity, they are entitled to SGK sick pay. In 2024 the daily reference amount used in calculations was 333.38 TL.
Formula for minimum wage workers:
- SGK sick pay = (Daily gross minimum wage x 60% x Number of sick days) – Taxes and deductions
BAĞ-KUR SICK PAY CALCULATION 2024
BAĞ-KUR sick pay is for self-employed, tradespeople, farmers and freelancers covered by BAĞ-KUR. It compensates for lost income during incapacity and helps cover treatment costs. BAĞ-KUR sick pay is calculated based on the daily gross minimum wage at a 50% rate for BAĞ-KUR insured persons. Payments vary with the duration of the report. Deductions for taxes and contributions apply.
Basic formula for BAĞ-KUR:
- BAĞ-KUR sick pay = (Daily gross minimum wage x 50% x Number of sick days) – Taxes and deductions
Note: Taxes and deductions may be estimated as a percentage for examples, but actual deductions depend on the person’s tax status and current regulations.
EMEKLİ SANDIĞI SICK PAY CALCULATION 2024
Emekli Sandığı sick pay applies to public servants such as civil servants, judges, prosecutors, military personnel and police officers covered by Emekli Sandığı. Payments are calculated based on the daily gross minimum wage at a 40% rate for Emekli Sandığı insured persons and vary according to the report duration. Taxes and deductions apply.
Basic formula:
- Emekli Sandığı sick pay = (Daily gross minimum wage x 40% x Number of sick days) – Taxes and deductions
Note: Taxes and deductions include income tax, stamp tax and social security contributions and will affect the net amount paid.
HOW TO CLAIM FORGOTTEN SICK PAY
Forgotten sick pay refers to payments that were approved but not claimed by their recipients. SGK holds these amounts for a limited time. To check and claim unpaid sick pay, you can:
- Access SGK services or the e-Government portal.
- Authenticate via the e-Government gateway.
- Use the relevant menu for social security transactions and select the sick pay inquiry option.
- Enter the report start and end dates and run the query.
- If the payment is unpaid, update your payment details and follow instructions to receive the amount.
- Collected sick pay is paid through banks that have agreements with SGK.
Unclaimed sick pay is kept by SGK for up to five years. Amounts not collected within five years are recorded as revenue for SGK, so it is important to claim payments in time.
Single-day sick pay
There is generally no sick pay for a one-day report for outpatient or inpatient treatments.
Two-day sick pay
A two-day report usually does not result in an additional sick pay payment for the insured worker.
Three-day sick pay
For a three-day report, examples show eligible payments for outpatient and inpatient treatments depending on the applied daily rate and deductions.
Common examples for multiple days
Sample illustrative amounts are often provided for 5, 7, 10, 14, 15, 20, 30 and 45-day reports depending on treatment type (outpatient vs inpatient) and the applicable gross daily reference. Actual amounts depend on the daily gross base, the applicable rate by insurance type and tax/deduction rules.
To be eligible for sick pay, the rest period must generally be at least 3 days; SGK does not pay sick benefits for 2 days. When calculating payments, a common approach is to use the number of reported days minus 2 for specific rules that reduce early-day payments. The daily sick pay reference and related rates are reviewed periodically and remain valid for the applicable year.