opting out of NHS pension

masterlogarius

Hi, new member here. I'm a newly qualified dentist in the UK, I have so far received two monthly paychecks with a deduction for the NHS pension. I am fully aware that the NHS pension scheme is great and opting out is a bad idea, for most people. However I can't seem to find any advice for people with my particular issue (perhaps because it is quite uncommon), nor can I discuss the subject with people close to me, for reasons that will be obvious. Hence this thread.

Basically I have a long-standing kind of depression and long story short, I don't see myself choosing to live beyond even 50, certainly not past 60. I do plan for the future, but for me the future does not extend that far. This is a position I am quite certain on. So as good as the pension scheme is, is it really worth paying in to for someone who is unlikely to ever see the benefits? I appreciate any responses.

zagubov

Can I please encourage you to talk to others about this. I mean friends, family and health professionals. Online anonymous well-wishers aren't a substitute for being able to talk to people about this.

On other threads people are talking about how much medical treatments are improving well beyond people's expectations. For example, people thinking they had run out of hip replacement options after a certain number of operations are now finding that replacements can be continued into the future.

Unfortunately I'd worry that depression might well be a condition which might uniquely compromise someone's understanding of the nature of biomedical progress. I wonder if the disease could undermine a person's acceptance of the inevitability of ongoing improvements of research and therapeutic outcomes.

Improvements in quality of life are so likely to occur that I wish people could come up with positive ways to reassure people about this.

100 years ago we all died young from malaria and smallpox and measles and TB. And now we're not.

Please plan for the future. When I was in my twenties I had symptoms that made me doubtful I would make it to my thirties. I've now lived to over twice the age I expected.

And please talk to somebody about your worries.

xylophone

Basically I have a long-standing kind of depression

Make an appointment with your GP without delay and ask for a referral to a specialist.

OldMusicGuy

You have made an important step by talking about your challenges. However, I would try to separate the two things here, your pension decision and possible mental health issues.

Your pension opt out decision is being influenced by present bias. We have a strong bias against "sensible" acts in the future if it means giving up a short term "hit". People frequently look for excuses to rationalise this unconscious bias. Please don't use any mental health issues you may be facing as an excuse to justify your present bias. You don't know what the future holds. You have one of the best pension schemes available, make sure you contribute to it.

You need to look at your challenge with depression separately from your pension. As others have said, please seek help. You don't have to discuss this with people close to you, talk to your GP, try MIND or even phone the Samaritans to talk with someone that will just listen and give you advice on where to seek help.

Let me end with a story that will confirm why you must contribute to your pension (and may give you some hope). A friend I have known for many years suffered from mental health issues coupled with alcoholism. I had no idea (they were a functioning alcoholic). This all came to a head recently when this person suffered a serious mental health crisis. Fortunately, as a result of this they sought help and have now completely turned their life around. At the age of 55 this person now has a new lease of life and is looking forward to the rest of their life.

This shows that if you seek help it is possible to change things, even in your 50s.

crv1963

masterlogarius wrote: »

Basically I have a long-standing kind of depression and long story short, I don't see myself choosing to live beyond even 50, certainly not past 60. I do plan for the future, but for me the future does not extend that far. This is a position I am quite certain on. So as good as the pension scheme is, is it really worth paying in to for someone who is unlikely to ever see the benefits? I appreciate any responses.

I would urge you to do several things, firstly if you can see your GP, discuss your ongoing battle with depression with him/ her if they are already aware of the problem tell them treatment needs adjusting by a Consultant Psychiatrist if their help hasn't worked.

If not already under the care of/ assessed by local Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) you can ask GP for a referral, you can also self refer- your local NHS Mental Health Trust website should have the number to ring on it.

GP or CMHT can refer you to Individual Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) I'm not sure if you can self refer- you can in my area. Psychological Therapy in combination with Pharmacological approach is demonstrated to be effective.

It may be that you already have an antidepressant from GP but a referral to a specialist can be beneficial as they have access to different medications that can only be initiated by a Consultant Psychiatrist or a combination of medications in some cases. Expect to have to have an ECG and bloods taken whichever route you go- this is standard procedure under NICE Guidelines. Should the local services treatment not be effective the Psychiatrist can (and they do) speak/ refer to the Regional Affective Disorders Team with access to an even greater range of/ combination of medications.

Medication, talking therapies and telling loved ones/ close friends or colleagues makes a huge difference to treatment outcomes, don't bottle it all up please.

If you are at a point of despair you can contact the local Crisis Team, who will also tell you options and possibly start treatment. Or there are the none NHS services like the Samaritans, MIND or possibly local out of hours drop in services, each location is different so you may need to google local mental health services.

You are not alone and should either seek treatment or if getting it- ask for it to be reviewed and be honest about how you feel, very often depressed people brush over how they really feel and so don't benefit from all the treatment options available.

That you do think of the future and plan is a really positive indicator that you would benefit from accessing treatment/ discussing your current treatment with a professional. Unfortunately sometimes you have to knock on the door several times and this is like swimming through treacle when your feeling depressed - don't give up, everyone is worth it.

So in answer to your question, yes it is worth paying into the NHS pension scheme.

andy001

Hi

I agree with above posts. It's really important to seek help.... See your own GP or speak to your dental appraiser/ local IAPT services/Crisis team etc,

See BDA website.

https://bda.org/dentists/advice/Pages/stress.aspx


There is also free / confidential help available for dentists.
Dentists' Health Support Programme provides dentists with free advice and support on health, alcohol, drugs and other issues. Tel: 0207 224 4671 or email dentistsprogramme@gmail.com

Hope you feel better soon!

Sun-Is-Fun

First of all, well done for qualifying as a dentist. What an achievement !

This should be a great job giving you a decent level of income.

Mental health is complex and it can skew thoughts and feelings. It can also alter over time, have peaks and troughs and, ultimately, in can get better completely or you find strategies to make it manageable. At the time, however, it is all consuming and all you see is black and white with nothing inbetween. However, as time passes this does change.

By the time you are 50, you may not even have a mental health issue at all or you will have found coping strategies to keep it under control.

You have the potential, if you continue with your job, to earn a very decent salary and pension, which some people can only dream about. I know this isn't everything, but it is a great start in life.

Definitely continue with the pension. That is a no-brainer, but if you have mental health issues you cannot sometimes see the logical thing to
do. By the time you get in your 50s, you will be so glad you carried on with the pension, even though it seems a lot now being taken from your pay each month.

I know it's probably teaching you to suck eggs, but really have a a look at your diet and exercise routines, as these can really make a difference to depression.

kidmugsy

masterlogarius wrote: »

I have so far received two monthly paychecks with a deduction for the NHS pension.

I don't believe you. Paying people by cheque must have ended decades ago.

HHarry

kidmugsy wrote: »

I don't believe you. Paying people by cheque must have ended decades ago.

And with just a little bit of thought you could see the OP means payslip, rather than paycheque.

Give the guy a break.

nicknameless

kidmugsy wrote: »

I don't believe you. Paying people by cheque must have ended decades ago.

As must your compassion and intellectual growth.

dawyldthing

Also if you work for a private practise they often might have a private confidential phone line so you can get help. I don’t work for the nhs but a large organisation and we have it (I think you can ring about alsorts to be fair, but it’s all a part from the business so confidential and might help.

Please seek help though. You count, people do care and there’s nothing wrong with asking for help