NHS Scotland Pension : Early Health Help

keasy

Hi folks,
I was hoping I could ask for some help regarding retiring owed to I'll health.

I was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis in March. 

I really wanted to continue working as long as I could but things have gotten to the stage where I'm most likely unable.

I know there's two tiers, tiers I and II. One (if given) is the lower tier where the SPA judge you could continue to work elsewhere.
Two is the top tier where you are expected not to work again anywhere and pays the most.

My condition is at the point where I would be seeking tier two.
I've only been paying into the scheme for three years which means I'm a member of the newer CARE scheme.
I'm unsure how I'll health is calculated. When speaking to an NHS  colleague who works in Occupational Health they told me (unofficially) not to decrease my hours should I ever consider I'll health retirement as the amount you are given is based on the amount of hours worked over the previous two years. 
Other colleagues who do not work in within Occupational Health don't really know how things work in regards to the same but, the general consensus is that it will be given based on how long and how much has been paid into the scheme.

It's all very confusing and I was hoping someone here could offer some advice.

Thanks.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

As it's a DB scheme what you have contributed is unlikely to have any relevance at all.

It's the scheme rules which will count.

This is an extract from a 2015 NHS Pension scheme (Scotland) guide,

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://pensions.gov.scot/sites/default/files/2019-12/NHS_Care_2015_guide.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiYoOW_jZOAAxX1hP0HHX__COYQFnoECBkQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2yEiGszViYrFGi2pbphDhR

Upper tier
This becomes payable if you’re unable to carry out any regular work.
Your lower tier pension may be increased by an amount based on 50% of the further potential pension you could have built up by State Pension age if you had continued working.
To do this we will take into account your average earnings while you were a scheme member.

keasy

Hey, thanks for replying.
I'm going to guess that the average mentioned is based on the two years prior that my occupational health colleague mentioned.

👍

Thanks

mick08

I retired through Ill health a year ago, terminated under 2015 scheme, you have to be dismissed before applying for Ill health.

It's a horrible situation, you are dependent on someone else's decision, I got the lesser tier, but got upgraded after appeal. It's turned out ok but it could have been refused as it's not straightforward.

I had gp, consultant, employer and eventually occupational health inputting on my behalf, although occupational health were awful to me.

Good luck as I found it stressful, having just gone though cancer treatment, it should have been more geared towards the employee, I can't say it was, this with 35 years service.

keasy

Hi Mick,
I'm glad it turned out ok for you. It is a terrible system, I agree. I'll health is bad enough and I know the uncertainty and stress off not knowing can make things worse.

Do you know how they calculated your pension? If it was indeed based on a two year average?

Thanks 

mick08

I'm afraid I don't know Keasy, it's like the ministry of dark arts, I was not given a breakdown of the figures, only here's what they are.

I only had 7 years in the new scheme, I believe it was done as quoted by someone above. I still had 10 years of work until normal retirement age, they gave me 5 years worth, which on a rough calculation I came to a similar figure.I

I'm afraid that the pension agency's own staff are unfamiliar with the system as I've been wrongly informed on more than one occasion by them, Ill health retirement is poorly known by unions too, my rep helped but admitted they have little knowledge.

I had to do a lot reading in my own time, at a time when I did not know if I was going to survive, looking back I'm not sure how I got through it.

I had to take the figures as gospel, and then to accept the pension as there was no way I was capable of employment again.

If there is anything I can help with don't hesitate to ask.