LGPS Scotland and Ill Health Retirement

Purplelady65

Just a couple of comments. In the 12 months you were on sickness absence did you have any appointments with Occupational Health? Normally in the public sector when someone is reaching the point where their sick pay reduces from full pay to half pay they would have a follow up appointment with Occupational Health after the initial one. This would be to assess the likelihood of the person returning to work in the near future and if not to then start considering the options of ill health retirement, capability etc. It sounds as if you’ve fallen between the various services - HR, Occupational Health as if you were dismissed after 12 months sickness absence someone within that time should have raised ill health retirement with you. Did you have union rep support in the formal sickness absence meetings? If so I’m surprised they never mentioned it either. 

Also I would ask for a copy of your employer’s sickness absence policy (they are sometimes called attendance support or similar now) and capability policy. I would check through the various stages of sickness absence management and what the policy is on managing each stage. I would expect to see in there mention of ill health retirement as a possible option when you’re reaching the final stages of sickness absence management. If there is then you can go back to your employer to say they haven’t followed their own policies which will strengthen your case.