Generous, but with a finish line
Civil service sick pay usually starts at full pay for a period, then drops to half pay, then stops. The exact terms depend on your department and length of service. For most short illnesses, you will not notice much difference in your income.
A long illness is different. Cancer treatment, a serious mental health condition or recovery from major surgery can outlast full pay. Income protection set to start when your sick pay reduces can keep your income steady, and you choose how long it can pay for.
If you work part time, your sick pay is usually pro rata. That means the amount you receive during absence is already lower than a full-time salary, so check the figures rather than relying on the headline terms.
Pension death benefits and their limits
Civil service pension arrangements include a death in service lump sum and pensions for partners and dependent children. These can be valuable, especially if you have long service, and they are worth understanding before you buy any extra cover. Your annual benefit statement shows the current figures.
They are tied to your employment. If you move to the private sector, take a career break or leave, the benefit changes. They are also based on salary, which may not match your mortgage or family needs if you have a large loan or several children.
Desk work and the risks it brings
Most civil servants work in offices or from home, which means lower physical risk. Insurers usually place office work in a lower-risk class, which helps keep income protection premiums down and often makes an own occupation definition easier to obtain.
Desk work has its own health issues, including back and neck pain, repetitive strain and stress. Some roles, such as border work, inspection or high-pressure policy teams, bring extra strain or physical risk. Tell the insurer about your actual duties rather than just your grade.
- Back and neck pain from desk work
- Repetitive strain injuries
- Stress and anxiety
- Frontline roles with physical risk
Planning around your benefits
Because your sick pay and pension are good, you can often choose a long income protection deferred period, which keeps costs lower. Some civil servants also look at critical illness cover, which pays a lump sum on diagnosis of a serious condition.
If you plan to leave the civil service in future, buying personal cover while you are young and healthy locks in your health at that point. The policy then moves with you into whatever job comes next, with no new medical questions.
How Hi Tomorrow helps civil servants
We look at your department's sick pay and your pension benefits, then set up income protection and life insurance to fill the gaps. Insurers group occupations into risk classes, and a desk-based grade usually helps on price. We tell you which insurers would assess a claim on your own job.
If you already hold cover from an old job or a mortgage, we check it fits with the new plan so you are not paying twice. Each insurer decides acceptance and terms through its own underwriting, and we explain any conditions before you accept.