NHS Pension Advice

KerryL

I am 43 with chronic and complex health conditions.  I have built up 22 years of NHS pension membership, firstly on the 1995 scheme and later mandatory having been moved to the 2015 scheme. I’m not likely to be here at retirement age and so i would like to draw my pension now on ill health and enjoy the money whilst i still can.  

However, this is where its gets complicated(!), I would still like to work part time because my pension would not be enough to live comfortably and because i still need some purpose in life.  I don’t work for the NHS directly anymore, staff delivering back office services i.e. finance, HR, payroll etc in the local NHS and Council were transferred to a shared services arrangement where the NHS and Local Council formed a Joint Venture Company.  Through this, we were able to remain active members of our respective pension scheme, which in my case was the NHS.

I have sought financial advice but she doesn’t think I’m going to be able to draw down my pension and work part time (currently working full time).  I don’t really know where to go from here because i don’t see the point of paying into a pension pot when it’s highly unlikely I’m going to be around at pension age, I’d really like to pull it out now and enjoy some life whilst i still can.  

Any help or advice from those more in the know about this subject than i, I’d be most grateful.  

Dazed_and_C0nfused

KerryL said:

I am 43 with chronic and complex health conditions.  I have built up 22 years of NHS pension membership, firstly on the 1995 scheme and later mandatory having been moved to the 2015 scheme. I’m not likely to be here at retirement age and so i would like to draw my pension now on ill health and enjoy the money whilst i still can.  

However, this is where its gets complicated(!), I would still like to work part time because my pension would not be enough to live comfortably and because i still need some purpose in life.  I don’t work for the NHS directly anymore, staff delivering back office services i.e. finance, HR, payroll etc in the local NHS and Council were transferred to a shared services arrangement where the NHS and Local Council formed a Joint Venture Company.  Through this, we were able to remain active members of our respective pension scheme, which in my case was the NHS.

I have sought financial advice but she doesn’t think I’m going to be able to draw down my pension and work part time (currently working full time).  I don’t really know where to go from here because i don’t see the point of paying into a pension pot when it’s highly unlikely I’m going to be around at pension age, I’d really like to pull it out now and enjoy some life whilst i still can.  
Any help or advice from those more in the know about this subject than i, I’d be most grateful.  

You aren't paying into a "pension pot".

You are buying an NHS pension, payable under the scheme rules, a totally different concept to a pension pot.

Is getting agreement to ill health retirement from your current role a realistic option?  

And if so would you then have the opportunity to take a new job elsewhere?

gwynlas

It is extremely difficult to get ill health retirement and pension from NHS.

You really need to talk to your union and get the backing of your medical team.

KerryL

gwynlas said:

It is extremely difficult to get ill health retirement and pension from NHS.

You really need to talk to your union and get the backing of your medical team.

Due to my health i don’t envisage it being a problem, i need to take a slower pace of life. 

KerryL

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

KerryL said:

I am 43 with chronic and complex health conditions.  I have built up 22 years of NHS pension membership, firstly on the 1995 scheme and later mandatory having been moved to the 2015 scheme. I’m not likely to be here at retirement age and so i would like to draw my pension now on ill health and enjoy the money whilst i still can.  

However, this is where its gets complicated(!), I would still like to work part time because my pension would not be enough to live comfortably and because i still need some purpose in life.  I don’t work for the NHS directly anymore, staff delivering back office services i.e. finance, HR, payroll etc in the local NHS and Council were transferred to a shared services arrangement where the NHS and Local Council formed a Joint Venture Company.  Through this, we were able to remain active members of our respective pension scheme, which in my case was the NHS.

I have sought financial advice but she doesn’t think I’m going to be able to draw down my pension and work part time (currently working full time).  I don’t really know where to go from here because i don’t see the point of paying into a pension pot when it’s highly unlikely I’m going to be around at pension age, I’d really like to pull it out now and enjoy some life whilst i still can.  
Any help or advice from those more in the know about this subject than i, I’d be most grateful.  

You aren't paying into a "pension pot".

You are buying an NHS pension, payable under the scheme rules, a totally different concept to a pension pot.

Is getting agreement to ill health retirement from your current role a realistic option?  

And if so would you then have the opportunity to take a new job elsewhere?

Apologies, as you can see my knowledge about pensions is very limited, but thanks for clarifying. 

Yes, my employers are supportive of me applying for ill health retirement and i know my medical team would back me.  Due to my health i need to take a slower pace of life to enable me to properly attend to my care needs which are becoming quite extensive. 

Although my employers are supportive of me going down the route of ill health, they also don’t want to lose me and are offering flexibility to keep me at least part time. I don’t think i would get this anywhere else, or I’m not sure i would get another job due to the seriousness of my health / disability.  Such a difficult situation., 

Bobinyorkshire

My wife got Tier 1 NHS ill health pension on appeal. It can be a long journey needing lots of medical evidence, but persevere as it was worth it. 

My only caveat is that as soon as she stated she was applying for ill health pension the Trust started the process of dismissing her on health grounds, which was very worrying as she did not know if her application for pension would have been accepted. The union said they was nothing they could do and this was at a NHS Trust which kept her job open for 18months when she was ill as she was wanted back. Typical NHS HR policy! 

Albermarle

KerryL said:

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

KerryL said:

I am 43 with chronic and complex health conditions.  I have built up 22 years of NHS pension membership, firstly on the 1995 scheme and later mandatory having been moved to the 2015 scheme. I’m not likely to be here at retirement age and so i would like to draw my pension now on ill health and enjoy the money whilst i still can.  

However, this is where its gets complicated(!), I would still like to work part time because my pension would not be enough to live comfortably and because i still need some purpose in life.  I don’t work for the NHS directly anymore, staff delivering back office services i.e. finance, HR, payroll etc in the local NHS and Council were transferred to a shared services arrangement where the NHS and Local Council formed a Joint Venture Company.  Through this, we were able to remain active members of our respective pension scheme, which in my case was the NHS.

I have sought financial advice but she doesn’t think I’m going to be able to draw down my pension and work part time (currently working full time).  I don’t really know where to go from here because i don’t see the point of paying into a pension pot when it’s highly unlikely I’m going to be around at pension age, I’d really like to pull it out now and enjoy some life whilst i still can.  
Any help or advice from those more in the know about this subject than i, I’d be most grateful.  

You aren't paying into a "pension pot".

You are buying an NHS pension, payable under the scheme rules, a totally different concept to a pension pot.

Is getting agreement to ill health retirement from your current role a realistic option?  

And if so would you then have the opportunity to take a new job elsewhere?

Apologies, as you can see my knowledge about pensions is very limited, but thanks for clarifying. 

Yes, my employers are supportive of me applying for ill health retirement and i know my medical team would back me.  Due to my health i need to take a slower pace of life to enable me to properly attend to my care needs which are becoming quite extensive. 

Although my employers are supportive of me going down the route of ill health, they also don’t want to lose me and are offering flexibility to keep me at least part time. I don’t think i would get this anywhere else, or I’m not sure i would get another job due to the seriousness of my health / disability.  Such a difficult situation., 

I am not that familiar with the NHS pension rules, and of course not with your medical issues. However common sense might indicate that still having a part time job would probably count against you when trying to claim your pension early through ill health.  

blues

I’m not sure you can claim to be so unwell you need to retire on ill health to claim your pension early, but then also say you want to work part time. I was retired early, but OH stated I would never work again before 67 and this was why my claim was successful.

kaMelo

It is possible but not without conditions attached.
https://faq.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/knowledgebase/article/KA-04163/en-us

Also read here
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/member-hub/applying-ill-health-pension-benefits

Marcon

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

KerryL said:

I am 43 with chronic and complex health conditions.  I have built up 22 years of NHS pension membership, firstly on the 1995 scheme and later mandatory having been moved to the 2015 scheme. I’m not likely to be here at retirement age and so i would like to draw my pension now on ill health and enjoy the money whilst i still can.  

However, this is where its gets complicated(!), I would still like to work part time because my pension would not be enough to live comfortably and because i still need some purpose in life.  I don’t work for the NHS directly anymore, staff delivering back office services i.e. finance, HR, payroll etc in the local NHS and Council were transferred to a shared services arrangement where the NHS and Local Council formed a Joint Venture Company.  Through this, we were able to remain active members of our respective pension scheme, which in my case was the NHS.

I have sought financial advice but she doesn’t think I’m going to be able to draw down my pension and work part time (currently working full time).  I don’t really know where to go from here because i don’t see the point of paying into a pension pot when it’s highly unlikely I’m going to be around at pension age, I’d really like to pull it out now and enjoy some life whilst i still can.  
Any help or advice from those more in the know about this subject than i, I’d be most grateful.  

You aren't paying into a "pension pot".

You are buying an NHS pension, payable under the scheme rules, a totally different concept to a pension pot.

Problem is that the NHS use precisely that terminology to explain, so not surprising OP is following suit! See https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6556411/nhs-deferred-pension-question#latest

DRS1

It is interesting that the employer is supportive.  Taking ill health early retirement would usually involve stopping work completely because of ill health.  To quote one of the links "You must be permanently incapable of carrying out the duties of your own job".   Continuing to do your job for fewer hours doesn't sound like it would count.

The examples of doing a part time job in the future in another link contemplate it being quite a different job and where you go back to work in the NHS it is contemplating that that is because you got "better" - not that you went straight into the "other" job.

Could you get by just doing the job part time with no ill health pension?  That may give you more time for things you might enjoy.

As to the value of the pension - do you have a spouse?  small children?