nhs pension - mental health officer

Stuarteales

I am a member of the nhs pension scheme. I have discovered that as a consequence of me leaving the scheme between 1995 and 2002 that I have lost my special status in thevscheme known as mental health officer (mho).
I was never told that this could happen and I believe that I should have been warned as I have now suffered substantial financial loss.
Does anyone know what information was provided to members when the scheme changed in 1995 when this condition was introduced. And also, because I was not warned, can I claim that I have been misinformed and seek to have my mho status reinstated
Stuart

tacpot12

Why and how did you leave the scheme in 1995?

Did you take any advice from anyone that resulted in a recommendation to leave the scheme?

You can certainly claim you were not informed when you left the scheme, but whether you can prove this is another matter. The problem is that the Scheme Administrator probably has the information needed to prove this; so you need to approach them carefully if you are to get them to reinstate your status

molerat

Surely the scheme booklet would have given all the options and consequences.

Silvertabby

Nothing to do with the NHS pension scheme. They just administer the scheme on behalf of the NHS, based on information supplied to them by the NHS. They are not allowed to offer advice to pension fund members, and so would not/could not say: "hey - do you realise that you will lose your MHO status if you go now?"

They will have simply worked on the assumption that the pension fund member will have taken the loss of MHO status into account when deciding to leave the pension fund.

Stuarteales

I left the schem for personal reasons.
I didn’t have a booklet and no body told me of the implications of leaving.
I believe the scheme has an obligation to tell me and they never

Stuarteales

I’m sure someone has an obligation to make sure members u derstant the scheme.
How is no information different to misinformation. The outcome is the same.
Imagine if Scottish widows changed their pension and just didn’t tell a member.

Smellyonion

It is your responsibility to make an informed decision. You chose to leave and you should have considered the implications.

Since this decision was made make in 1995, any liability has long disappeared.

Stubod

..as I guess you choose to leave then perhaps you should accept some responsibility for not carrying out your own due diligence rather than try and blame sonebody else for your choices?

crv1963

I can't find the scheme booklet I was given in 1985, but I do recall that a talking point in 1995 was that if a member with MHO status left the scheme and failed to return to MHO status role with more than a 5 year break in service they lost the status forever.


I'm sure in the consultation (aka being told about the changes about to happen) those with MHO status were given relevant information if they attended a meeting. So you could complain but I think the scheme would say the information was shared as widely as they could be expected to do and with all schemes the onus is on the person leaving to be clear of all the implications for them.


When I left a large MH Hospital (scheduled for closure) to join an Acute Trust my Nursing Officer told me to make sure that the new Trust (they were new fangled then, NHS Trusts) was going to honour my MHO status if not to turn down the offered post. This was in 1991, so it was common knowledge back then the desire to reduce the number of MHOs.


Sorry but even with the loss of MHO status you're still in a good scheme with a good pension as part of your terms and conditions of employment.