Several months ago I posted a query about ill health retirement and whether it was possible to access your occupational pension regardless of your age. I got a few responses but no one seemed to know the answer and at least one person if I’m remembering it correctly said that they thought it wasn’t possible if you were under 55. Bearing that in mind, I thought I’d let you all know my experience in case anyone is considering it or haven’t even thought about it yet but would be eligible. I have a local government pension but I’m told many private pension schemes operate in a similar way, but you’d have to check your scheme to be sure. The whole process was very simple. Firstly, I had to ask my boss if they would finish me on medical grounds. I had to see an occupational therapy doctor who told me at the end of the interview that subject to reports from my doctor and oncologigist, he would be recommending that I wouldn’t be able to return to work in any capacity. Following that there were a couple of meetings between the OT, Human Resources team and the heads of department which I was told about and given the opportunity to attend if I wanted to but I decided not to attend. My boss rang me after the last meeting to give me the news that they were finishing me and would be sending a letter confirming this to the pension provider. About two weeks later I recieved the letter from them telling me how much I was going to get and a couple of weeks after that the money was in my bank account. The whole process was very simple and no trouble at all.
Glad you got your retirement - enjoy it as much as possible!!
For other people on here, I too had early retirement on ill-health grounds almost 3 years ago. I worked for a large bank and had paid into their scheme for almost 20 yrs. The whole process took 4 months and was not without it’s stresses in my case but it has soooo been the best decision I ever made. When I first realised I couldn’t cope being back at work and finally admitted it to myself, I eventually made a few enquiries with HR. They said I only needed to send them a brief letter saying I wished to be considered but they couldn’t give me any idea at all as to whether I would be granted retirement (although they doubted I would get it cos I was 43 at the time) or find anyone in pensions who could give me any projections so it was a huge gamble.
HR then wrote to my onc, surgeon and GP practice asking their opinion and their initial replies weren’t ‘good’ enough so a second lot of letters were sent out. Doubt was cast on the thoroughness of these letters even though the onc and surgeon said I had a terminal disease and would need lots more treatment over the years and a 20% chance of making 5 yrs. Anyway, my case was put to the pension scheme doctor who apparently immediately granted me retirement at full rate as if I’d worked to age 62 (company’s then retirement age). Even HR were shocked as they’d not seen it granted at full rate at a comparatively ‘young’ age.
So it is possible but I would say you may have to be prepared for a lot of to-ing and fro-ing and stress at what is a very difficuult time anyway. Having said that, I’m so glad I took the risk and don’t regret it at all, in spite of the circumstances. It took time to adjust to no longer working - almost a year - but I have embraced my new normal life.
Thank you for your information as I am debating whether to finish work as I am struggling with tiredness etc. You have given me the push to contact Hr that I needed. As you say there are no straightforward answers/information to this sensitive issue.
Lisa
I’d say if you are struggling to cope at work then what have you got to lose? It doesn’t hurt at least to find what the rules are at your particular workplace/pension provider and what your GP/onco team think of the idea and your prospects. One thing is true, if you can take any little steps to control the stress, then your life will be more fun in the meantime, whatever the eventual outcome healthwise. It is usually a situation regulated by fairly clear explicit written policies that should be available from HR and possibly via the internet or your union, so a good first step is to locate and read that information and then make an honest assessment of how your particular case relates.
If you have a dream, then go live it while you can - and if the cancer and treatments do let you feel better in four/five years time, there’s nothing stopping you from trying a new start later -although not with the same employer, and possibly not at the same job that made you ill in the first place. Time for something new!
Crawfo, some organisations/pension schemes will “let you go” whatever your age if you simply are not up for the job any more medically although you were when you started. My sister got her IHR when she was under 40, that was as a civilian in the prison service and her degenerative bone condition that developed after she started for them, left her at increased risk of serious injury in a possibly violent environment, so it was considered unsafe for her to continue. Fortunately she had a very generous insurance on her mortgage (and a GP/consultant team who it seemed would write pretty much anything for her!) and she never looked back. Although she got most dreadfully bored, which I found hard to sympathise with…
Good luck!