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Need advice - flexible retirement

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My husband is disabled and has recently had (successful) treatment for cancer. His care needs have increased over the past couple of years and as I'm in my late 50s and he is in his 60s (retired, receiving work pension and gets state pension next year), we were looking at my options in regard to work/caring responsibilities.
My work offers the option of flexible retirement whereby you reduce your hours and take part of your pension early. We did the sums, and decided this was the way forward for now. I was to reduce my hours by 12 per week (I currently work 30 hours per week), and this would mean I have two extra days at home with my husband.
I raised this with management and this was agreed in November, with my new role (same job, just fewer hours) and pension starting at the end of January. We were delighted with this arrangement, and set about planning this new stage of our lives.
On Friday I was told that there had been a mistake (read: !!!!-up by management) and they were now not letting me do this as the costs to the department were too high. This after I've sorted out my pension, sorted out new hours, and assumed this was all going ahead in less than a fortnight. To say we are devastated is an understatement. My husband is livid, and very upset by this - his relief at my reduced hours was visible, and this has caused him so much stress now. He is the one who is suffering most because of this sudden reversal of their decision.
I'm going to speak to my union on Monday and see what they say, but does anyone know if I have any legal comeback on this? I feel like our lives have been totally messed with, and I'm so angry about the effect it is having on my husband's health.
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Comments

  • xylophone
    xylophone Posts: 45,627 Forumite
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    Extremely unprofessional (verging on management incompetence)?

    Do you have anything in writing relating to the new arrangement?

    Take the advice of your union as to whether you might be able to require the company to honour the agreement.

    https://www.gov.uk/solve-workplace-dispute/formal-procedures

    Otherwise, could you fully retire (albeit with actuarial reduction) and then find a part time job locally for a couple of days a week?

    Have you checked on your own State Pension?

    https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension
  • I do have it in writing, yes. The new arrangement was due to start on the 29th January.
  • Alice_Holt
    Alice_Holt Posts: 6,094 Forumite
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    I wonder if it would also be worth posting this in the employment forum.

    ACAS may be worth contacting - https://www.acas.org.uk/helpline
    Alice Holt Forest situated some 4 miles south of Farnham forms the most northerly gateway to the South Downs National Park.
  • Marcon
    Marcon Posts: 14,493 Forumite
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    Verlaines wrote: »
    I do have it in writing, yes. The new arrangement was due to start on the 29th January.

    You may well be one of those rare instances where something called a 'change of position' defence will come to your aid. ACAS, the CAB and TPAS may all be worth contacting:

    https://www.acas.org.uk
    https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk
    https://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/contacting-us [on balance I'd start with TPAS, since I suspect the 'costs' issue stems from the pension]
    Googling on your question might have been both quicker and easier, if you're only after simple facts rather than opinions!  
  • Get advice from a good employment lawyer. I think having the deal in writing and you acting on the written instruction leaves you in a veey vulnerable position.
    Any judge in the land would think your employer was acting totally unreasonably.
  • hyubh
    hyubh Posts: 3,726 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Verlaines wrote: »
    My work offers the option of flexible retirement whereby you reduce your hours and take part of your pension early. We did the sums, and decided this was the way forward for now. I was to reduce my hours by 12 per week (I currently work 30 hours per week), and this would mean I have two extra days at home with my husband.
    I raised this with management and this was agreed in November, with my new role (same job, just fewer hours) and pension starting at the end of January. We were delighted with this arrangement, and set about planning this new stage of our lives.
    On Friday I was told that there had been a mistake (read: !!!!-up by management) and they were now not letting me do this as the costs to the department were too high.

    Wild guess (as you're being a bit coy): LGPS, your line manager/line manager's manager/HR junior didn't realise a strain charge may be due, they've gone to the pensions team, and now found out granting a DB pension early is quite an expensive enterprise that the rules of the LGPS do not hide.
  • hyubh
    hyubh Posts: 3,726 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 20 January 2020 at 12:31AM
    Kit_Katt wrote: »
    Any judge in the land would think your employer was acting totally unreasonably.

    If this is the LGPS, then I'm curious as to whether your opinion would change depending on the status of the employer. Large council? Capita? Parish council? Local catering company? Citizens Advice Bureaux? Small quirky independant school? Local niche charity...? All might be participants in their local LGPS fund, falling under the same rules, and for the smallest, a mess up regarding an early retirement could cause serious money issues.

    OP - morals aside, if your employer is something like a big council or Capita, then clearly, there would be much more expectation of people knowing full well what LGPS rules were when the flexible retirement was informally agreed.
  • I work for one of the largest local authorities in the country.
  • xylophone
    xylophone Posts: 45,627 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    OP - morals aside, if your employer is something like a big council or Capita, then clearly, there would be much more expectation of people knowing full well what LGPS rules were when the flexible retirement was informally agreed.
    I work for one of the largest local authorities in the country.

    Then really what has happened seems quite inexcusable.

    And it would appear (since you have agreement in writing) that this was no mere informal "Well, I guess that would be okay"?

    See your union rep and make a formal complaint.

    https://www.lgpsmember.org/ats/about-comp.php
  • xylophone
    xylophone Posts: 45,627 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/member.php?u=2533069

    Silvertabby is a retired LGPS administrator - you might try a PM for her take on the situation.
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