Nhs retirement

nicter

1995 pension scheme = 60 retirement age
2008 scheme = 65 retirement age

kay56

Thanks Nicter and Missbigles1. Yes I can get a pension at 60 years, but it would increase more if I worked until 66 years and I would have the state pension then which would make it financially viable. If I retire now I would lose £550 per month which is a great drop in income. Could I get any state benefits until I am 66 years? The benefits system has changed so much I have no idea of this way of supplementing income. I am just so aware that my health is deteriorating and would like some quality retirement years before I get worse or 'move on'.

KxMx

There are two posaibilities.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if you have care/mobility needs.

Employment & Support Allowance. This is paid if you are judged too sick to work. This has criteria of it's own and getting an ill health pension doesn't automatically qualify you.

As you have been in work you would (subject to passing the WCA and being granted ESA) qualify for Contributions based ESA. If placed into the Work Related Activity Group (as opposed to the Support Group) that would be time limited to 365 days. After which, you would need to apply for Income Related ESA.

A claim for this is unlikely to be successful if you have significant savings, a working partner or other income, so an ill health pension would impact this.

nicter

Kay I am in a very similar situation to you and I too am 59.
I also have health problems including CVA 2 years ago
I intend retiring from my increasingly stressful NHS post at 60 and finding a part time job I enjoy while at the same time claiming my NHS pension
Maybe this could work for you too:)

Manxman_in_exile

Before applying for ill-health retirement you really need to discuss it fully with your union(*) for advice.


As nicter says above, it is very difficult these days to get a NHS ill-health retirement. I'm not saying you won't but you need to meet the criteria and the bar is set quite high. As I understood it some years ago you had to be "permanently incapable" of working through ill-health. I don't know the definition of "permanently incapable" or how it's applied in real life, but in my experience you had to be very ill to succeed.


(*) I would seek union advice anyway because sickness absence is very tightly controlled in the NHS today

FBaby

How long have you been off work? Getting retired from the nhs on health grounds, especially so close to the time you can claim your normal pension is becoming much harder because of the number of people who are trying it. You will have to justify that your health is such currently that you are unable to perform any work and that your condition is unlikely to improve to allow you to return to work in any capacity.

Spirit_2

If you are in the old scheme ( can retire at 60 on full pension) then the most the top up would be is until your 60th birthday. As others have said to get ill health retirement you have to be permanantly incapable of doing your job, and to get a top up, permanantly incapable of any work.

I ill heath retired last year at 54 from the NHS, not my choice really but I had a severe CVA and lifechanging disabilities. My GP, Consultant, and Oh Consultant all advised me I would not be recovered enough to return to work. They were right even as I went through the application process I had a heart attack. I would expect your HR and OH team to try to redeploy you into a role you can do with reduced stress or offerpart time working prior to them supporting an application for ill health retirement. That is a requirement of the pension scheme application.

Your OH Doctor has to give an opinion on your fitness for work which will carry a lot of weight. They may require medical evidence from your GP/specialists of the impact your conditions have on you.

Good luck

nicter

Sorry to hear of your health problems Spirit. Hope you are doing ok now x