Absences of 4 or more days

Civil servant: Absences through illness of 4 or more days will require the civil servant to complete a Social Security form SC1 (available from doctors' surgeries, hospitals, Social Security offices or pay sections) to ensure the correct allocation of sickness benefit in respect of the first week. The completed SC1 form should be fastened to the completed self-certificate and submitted to the Line Manager.

Line Manager/Payroll: The completed form should be fastened to the completed self-certificate and/or doctor's certificate and submitted via the Line Manager to the appropriate pay section/department’s HR division for onward transmission to Social Security.

Once submitted, form SC1 entitles:

• the civil servant to receive the element of pay which is incapacity benefit tax free and to reduce NI contributions
• the incapacity benefit to be reclaimed from the Social Security division by the employing department whilst the civil servant remains on full pay (when the civil servant goes to less than full pay, they can claim incapacity benefit directly).