There is no SC1. The form SC1 people search for when they mean Statutory Sick Pay is actually the SC2, titled “Statutory Sick Pay: employee’s statement of sickness.” It is a free one-page download from GOV.UK that you fill in yourself to self-certify a sickness absence of seven days or fewer, then hand to your employer. From day eight, a fit note from a healthcare professional replaces it. Rules changed on 6 April 2026 under the Employment Rights Act 2025: the £125 weekly earnings threshold and the three-day waiting period are both gone, so SSP now runs from the first full day of absence.
Who Can Use the SC2
Any worker classed as an employee for tax purposes — meaning Income Tax and National Insurance come out through PAYE — can self-certify with the SC2.1Acas. Statutory Sick Pay – Sick Pay Since April 2026 there is no minimum weekly earnings threshold, which brings part-time and casual workers into scope, and no unpaid waiting days at the start of the absence.2GOV.UK. Statutory Sick Pay Changes – Business Growth Service
You do need to have actually started work — you cannot claim SSP if you fall ill before your first day — and you must tell your employer within their notification deadline, or within seven days if they have not set one.3GOV.UK. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): Employer Guide – Notice and Fit Notes Agency workers qualify where they are treated as employees and work under the hirer’s supervision; the contract will say whether the agency or the hirer carries the SSP obligation.4Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Statutory Sick Pay Changes: What Small Business Employers Need to Know
How to Fill In the SC2
Download the SC2 from GOV.UK under “Statutory Sick Pay: employee’s statement of sickness.”5GOV.UK. Statutory Sick Pay – How to Claim It runs to one page in two halves. Grab your payslip before you start — you will need the reference numbers on it.
Personal Details
- Full name and title (Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms or other).
- National Insurance number — two letters, six digits, one letter — from your payslip, P60 or any HMRC letter.
- Date of birth in day-month-year format.
- Clock or payroll number, printed on your payslip.
Sickness Details
- A brief description of what was wrong. “Flu,” “back pain” or “stomach bug” is enough; you do not owe a diagnosis.
- The date your sickness began — the first day you were too unwell to work, even if that was a weekend or a day off.
- The date it ended, or leave blank if you are still off.
- The last date you worked before the absence.
- The time you finished on that date, in 24-hour format (for example, 17:30). This lets payroll pinpoint when the absence started.
- Whether the illness was caused by a workplace accident or industrial disease. If you tick “Yes,” your employer may need to report it separately under health and safety rules.
Sign it, date it, add a phone number, and keep a copy before you send the original.
How to Submit It
Hand or send the completed SC2 to your employer. GOV.UK does not fix a single method — the employer and employee agree how self-certification is handled, which in practice might be a form, an email attachment, or an entry on an HR portal.6GOV.UK. Taking Sick Leave Many employers accept a scanned or photographed SC2 by email. Others use their own internal absence form in place of the SC2, so check your staff handbook first; the SC2 is the fallback when the employer has no alternative.
Report the absence within your employer’s notification deadline, or within seven days if none is set. Your employer does not have to pay SSP for days you were late in reporting, unless you had a good reason.3GOV.UK. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): Employer Guide – Notice and Fit Notes Employers cannot insist you notify in person or on a specific form; a phone call or text to your manager counts as notification.
What You Get Paid
From 6 April 2026, SSP is the lower of two figures: 80% of your average weekly earnings, or the flat rate of £123.25 a week.7GOV.UK. Work Out Your Employee’s Statutory Sick Pay Manually Higher earners get the flat rate. Lower-paid or part-time workers whose 80% falls under £123.25 get the smaller amount. Average weekly earnings are worked out from the eight weeks before the absence.1Acas. Statutory Sick Pay – Sick Pay
SSP runs for up to 28 weeks and comes through your normal payslip on your regular payday, with tax and National Insurance treated the same as wages.8GOV.UK. Statutory Sick Pay If SSP is the only pay in a period, it may fall below the point where tax and NI actually bite, so you could receive the full amount.9Low Incomes Tax Reform Group. Statutory Sick Pay Check your contract for any contractual sick pay — where an employer already pays full or partial wages during absence, SSP is usually included in that figure rather than added on top.
When a Fit Note Takes Over
Self-certification only covers the first seven calendar days. From day eight your employer needs a fit note from an authorised healthcare professional.10GOV.UK. Statutory Payments Manual – Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) – Evidence of Sickness Fit notes can be issued by doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists.11GOV.UK. Who Can Issue Fit Notes: Guidance for Healthcare Professionals and Their Employers
A fit note states either that you are “not fit for work” or that you “may be fit for work” with adjustments such as altered hours, different duties or workplace changes. Your employer uses it to decide whether to accommodate a phased return or to keep you off. If you are still unwell when a note runs out, book a follow-up before it expires so your SSP does not gap.
If Your Employer Refuses to Pay
An employer who says you are not entitled to SSP must give you form SSP1, setting out why and pointing you to other benefits through Jobcentre Plus.12GOV.UK. Employer Form SSP1: Statutory Sick Pay and an Employee’s Claim for Benefit Ask for a written explanation first. If you still disagree, HMRC will make a formal decision on your entitlement.13GOV.UK. Statutory Pay Entitlement: How to Deal With Disagreements
The HMRC Statutory Payment Dispute Team takes calls on 0300 322 9422, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm, closed bank holidays.14GOV.UK. Statutory Payment Dispute Team An officer reviews written observations from both sides and issues a decision. Either side can request a review, and appeal to an independent tribunal within 30 days of the review conclusion if still unsatisfied.13GOV.UK. Statutory Pay Entitlement: How to Deal With Disagreements Hold on to your own copy of the SC2 and any fit notes; if it comes to a dispute, that paperwork is the evidence.