Nhs pensions ill heath application refused

dialysis

dontunderstand wrote: »

Hi dialysis, yes it gets like that doesn't it? It's stressful waiting for him everyday. Hopefully you will hearbsoon. I've not been able to help my wife yet (I need to do it for her) as i've been working away, just home for a couple of days then away again for another week then I'm going to get onto it, I'm not going to just fade away which is probably what they'd like. As we know, but others may not, this wasn't just something for nothing it was a contributary pension that was supposedly for retirement & to guard against the unthinkable i.e; ill-health. If someone been unable to work for over 4 yrs thus being unable to have an income & provide further for their age related retirement in 4 yrs time then I think we are right to fight the decision of someone who has not even seen her & how she is debilitated but just going by what "should" happen - we're people not text-book people! Sorry, rant over!! dontunderstand

Hi dontunderstand we got our letter today and guess what they havent made a decision yet we will hear before 6th of b....y May OMG how longs it gonna take hope things are developing with yours

dontunderstand

Hi dialysis, maybe that's a good sign? Did it say why they would decide by then, are they asking for further reports or anything?
dontunderstand

nad1611

This may not be any consolation, but in the long run you might be better off. Unless you need the lump sum the pension would give you, it might be best to allow the pension to grow. You'd have to take a percentage cut in lump sum and annuity about 20% reduction from the pension and 13% from the lump sum. So it's not an inconsiderable sum. Sorry if you know this already, don't want to sound patronising. She's only got 4years and in the meantime it sounds as though she could get ESA and or DLA.

It's an incredibly challenging process and the difficulty for most conditions is in being able to prove that there will be no recovery. As you can appreciate not even the most experienced Professionals would necessarily state that a condition had no chance of improving and with mental health it's abit of a minefield. Good luck if you decide to proceed.

dialysis

dontunderstand wrote: »

Hi dialysis, maybe that's a good sign? Did it say why they would decide by then, are they asking for further reports or anything?
dontunderstand

Hi dontunderstand Yea we thought that too but I did email the department and they said they have got the further evidence from OH consultant, and the medical advisers are looking at it now so once they made decision it will go to the pensions office, and they will then let us know within 5 days so hopefully not to much longer. Hows thing with you?:)

dontunderstand

nad1611 wrote: »

This may not be any consolation, but in the long run you might be better off. Unless you need the lump sum the pension would give you, it might be best to allow the pension to grow. You'd have to take a percentage cut in lump sum and annuity about 20% reduction from the pension and 13% from the lump sum. So it's not an inconsiderable sum. Sorry if you know this already, don't want to sound patronising. She's only got 4years and in the meantime it sounds as though she could get ESA and or DLA.

It's an incredibly challenging process and the difficulty for most conditions is in being able to prove that there will be no recovery. As you can appreciate not even the most experienced Professionals would necessarily state that a condition had no chance of improving and with mental health it's abit of a minefield. Good luck if you decide to proceed.

Thanks nad1611, yes we knew about the reduction but although she went on sick in mar 2007 her employment wasn't terminated until 2008 so her last pp was after april 08 which means she could commute her pension to a bigger lump sum, which is what she wanted to do. We have used all our savings & financially we are now on shaky ground as I am self employed & the recession has hit my trade hard! The lump sum would take us back to where we were at before her illness. No frivolous spending as we'd envisaged (exotic hols) but at least we'd have been on solid ground.

Dialysis - back to the waiting game eh? Tbh I've not been able to do a thing yet, I have to work while it's there & been away for a few weeks now (just home sunday & driving back later) i don't like leaving my wife but we've not got much option. She's quite low (expected I know) but she won't go to the dr's without me, but I'll have completed the contract by this sat so I'll be able to take her next week! See what he has to say about it & then get the letter done for the report, before round 3! Can't wait to hear your (good) news It's got to happen for someone!
dontunderstand

dialysis

Hi apparently the medical advisers at ATOS are looking at it now and then it goes back to the pensions officer who will look at it then let us know about 5 days later. Just wondered if anyones knows if I can contact ATOS myself to see if they made a decision yet.
dontunderstand thanks hope you get something sorted next week, financially we are the same we are really struggling and our home is up for repossession so a good result from the pensions, and anytime now would be good, just wish theyd hurry up.

dontunderstand

Hiya Dialysis, you seem a bit further down the debt trap than me, at least for now. I sincerely hope this comes through for you.

Regarding contacting ATOS, we had a number to ring person (administrator) who was dealing with our case. I rang & they were quite helpful in telling me where we were at, what they were waiting for etc; they informed me that they were still awaiting drs report after a month but went on to say but it's because your dr sent an invoice & we haven't paid it yet! They'd had it for 2 weeks & she said (& was right) that it would be another couple of weeks:mad:
It gets me so mad, the sick just carry on waiting with bated breath then eh! Sorry to go on, my wife doesn't want me to go back to work, it's horrible seeing her like this but also wears me down too. Going to be going in about an hour so my daughter coming to sit with her mum a bit but of course she'll get better & be able to get back to being an nhs manger nooo problem!!! NOT:mad::mad::mad:

dialysis

dontunderstand wrote: »

Hiya Dialysis, you seem a bit further down the debt trap than me, at least for now. I sincerely hope this comes through for you.

Regarding contacting ATOS, we had a number to ring person (administrator) who was dealing with our case. I rang & they were quite helpful in telling me where we were at, what they were waiting for etc; they informed me that they were still awaiting drs report after a month but went on to say but it's because your dr sent an invoice & we haven't paid it yet! They'd had it for 2 weeks & she said (& was right) that it would be another couple of weeks:mad:
It gets me so mad, the sick just carry on waiting with bated breath then eh! Sorry to go on, my wife doesn't want me to go back to work, it's horrible seeing her like this but also wears me down too. Going to be going in about an hour so my daughter coming to sit with her mum a bit but of course she'll get better & be able to get back to being an nhs manger nooo problem!!! NOT:mad::mad::mad:

Hi dontunderstand your not going on feel free to rant Im sat here ranting myself. I really feel for you and your wife its an awful situation to be in and then having to fight for what is rightfully yours. Thanks for the info bout ATOS I have emailed pensions again today so hopefully they might get back to me. The funny thing is I am scared to ring incase they say its going to be weeks we dont have that long, what with the repo, and falling so far behind on bills its gettin me down so much now. I really hope your wife will be ok and you get some news soon, I will off course keep u informed, and like I say rant whenever you want, its a good job this site is censored or most of my typing would be..........:)

dialysis

Hi dontunderstand
Hope things are progressing with you and your wife is ok. We got an email from ATOS today to say that the medical advisers have looked at his pension appeal and it has gone back to NHS pensions. They should inform us of the decision up to ten working days. Gettin there now just hope hope hope its good news or we are well and truly stuffed:) Keep me informed of how u both are doing;)

Dont_Understand_either

Hi

I am in the same position. I suffered a nervous breakdown from overload of work and extreme stress, that I had been trying to cope with for 2 years. I crashed with exhaustion in December 2009. I was a Senior Clinical commissioning Manager and clinical lead in an NHS PCT. I managed budgets, services and staff. These services included complex care, head injury, mental health specialist placements and continuing healthcare. I have been ill for 15 months now and have been under the supervision of a consultant psychiatrist for complex medication management including, antidepressants, benzodiazapines, night sedation and antipsychotics. Apart from the difficulty of coping with being dismissed by my NHS employer from being off sick for over a year with mental health issues and therefore incapacitated to go back to my job. I was told I was disabled by my employer and could not be re deployed. I was referred for ill health retirement. I have just heard this has been refused. How odd? The very organisation who recommends I am incapacitated to return to my job- refuses the referral for Tier 1 ill health retirement criteria, which is 'the person is unable to return to their job and unlikely to be able to work in a job like it'. I phoned Atos healthcare- who said that the only way to respond is to appeal. I am advised by my GP Consultant Psychiatrist and the referring Occupational Health Dr that because this is a mental health issue - it is difficult to measure the outcome of my recovery and therefore I will probably not win an appeal. In the meantime - how do I survive? No income. No job potential. No recovery if going through an appeal process - as this will add to stress. Seeing this string - I will send these experiences in the blog to the health service pensions Ombudsman. MIND and Rethink. I was told by my clinicians that if I had a physical illness I would probably get ill heath pension. I am unable to go through an appeal process without the backing of my clinicians and will compromise my recovery - which is key to my survival. Therefore I will have to apply for an early redemption of my pension- which will not be enough to live off. I have to sell my house and apply for social housing. I have been left, incapacitated, unable to get a job, homeless due to this decision. But I cannot get stressed again and will have to re evaluate my life now.