Help - what are my rights, Signed off for over 4 years and still employed

Malthusian

Manxman_in_exile said:

Probably a stupid question (and no help to OP) but what sort of job provides (or provided) Permanent Health Insurance? 

Any job paying more than minimum wage could offer income protection (PHI) as part of the benefits package. It is purely up to your employer. (It is less likely to be offered to low income workers as that's what state benefits are designed for.)

It might be automatically included as part of your employee benefits package, it might be something you have to exchange salary for, or it might be something they don't offer at all in which case you need to speak to an IFA about getting your own. Unless you have so much money that it wouldn't matter if you were unable to work until State Pension Age, or can live permanently on state benefits.

Do I understand that that means some sort of paid benefits in the event you can't work because of ill health - and those benefits continue until you reach retirement age?

Correct. (At least that is the most common and sensible arrangement but the exact details, such as the age of expiry, depend on the scheme / policy.)

The OP has actually been very specific about what they have and does not need to clarify anything unless they have given us completely the wrong end of the stick. The idea that they have been unclear about the benefits comes from replies who have confused PHI with PMI and not the original post.

Just to cover one other thing the OP mentioned, it is unlikely to be a good idea to take any pension they have while the PHI is in payment, as it would reduce the PHI benefits. Normally you would wait until the PHI ended and then start living off your pension.

Marcon

Malthusian said:

The OP has actually been very specific about what they have and does not need to clarify anything unless they have given us completely the wrong end of the stick. The idea that they have been unclear about the benefits comes from replies who have confused PHI with PMI and not the original post.

Just to cover one other thing the OP mentioned, it is unlikely to be a good idea to take any pension they have while the PHI is in payment, as it would reduce the PHI benefits. Normally you would wait until the PHI ended and then start living off your pension.

They haven't been specific, which is why those answering have repeatedly questioned whether this is private medical care or PHI. If it's the latter, why on earth would OP even consider leaving? That's where the real confusion has been created. 

If OP is referring to PHI, then taking early retirement from the company's pension scheme while PHI is in payment won't just reduce PHI benefits, it will end them. Company sponsored PHI only pays out while someone remains an employee of the company.