Medical retirement?

[Gstyle]

Hi all

I have been mulling over my position working in the public sector. My normal position front line isn’t viable anymore and I’m really struggling physically and mentally working even at reduced hours at home.

It would be interesting to know people’s experience of ill health retirement.

I am 1 year past MI, coronary heart disease. Anxiety/depression, now PTSD. Had a very stressful job (didn’t feel it to me) which is no longer good for my health, but I need to help people and I don’t do that looking at spreadsheets.

Thank you all. Keep strong . G

[Fanfab1]

hello

Early retirement due to ill health is a formal process based on medical opinion rather than a person feeling their job is not good for their health - that’s a personal choice. If you are medically deemed as unable to do your current job (despite employer making reasonable adjustments) or gain / undertake employment for the foreseeable then early retirement due to ill health is an option. But it’s the decision of medical professionals that matter and even then an employer does not have to accept it.

If you feel you are unable to do your job due to health issues, and so does your doctor then ealry retirement may be an option to pursue. Public sector pension schemes often award a pension to the amount you would have received if you’d retired at normal pensionable age i..e you don’t lose out because you were retired ealry.

Have a look at the occ health process, your organisations management of attendance policy, your pension scheme regulations plus a discussion with your doctor. Talk to your union if you’re in one. That’s if you’ve exhausted all adjustments with your employer.

If there is reasonable grounds for you to be treated and you should “get better” or your doctor and occ health feel you should be able to work then it’s unlikely it would be granted.

Otherwise it’s about what choices you have to change jobs and find something more suitable and how that works out regards your financial situation.

Early retirement due to ill health was an absolute life saver as otherwise we’d be on benefits as I know I could not work. My condition affects daily basic activities of life including walking (sometimes few metres) without fail. I’m reminded every day of my limitations. I have never cried so hard due to relief as I did when I got the go ahead for my early retirement. Wailed I did 😂

Good luck.

[Franks-Nan]

If you can afford it financially, then walk away, your emotional and physical health is far more important, you are no good half dead to your family and friends, whats that saying"the graveyard is full of indispensable people". Enjoy your retirement to the fullest, and in better health.

[Petitlady]

Fanfab’s reply is a really good piece of advice/guidance. I work part time adjudicating ill health retirement disputes in a public sector scheme. People who are awarded a pension have been examined by an independent specialist in occupational health, who will have agreed that they will never be well enough to return to their job and can’t hold down alternative employment. If someone is unfit for more active employment but could take a desk job they would not get a pension under the public sector scheme rules that I work with.

[Poppy-Pops]

I’m in the same boat as you, after a HA and triple bypass, seriously considering retirement options. I can’t remember the last time someone in my department was given ill health retirement, more often, formally retired than ill health retirement.

I think it’s partial retirement for me when I return to work, followed by early retirement next year at 60.

I don’t need the stress of the job anymore, after 42 years service.

[STEMI_Dave]

Someone in my family had really good advice from their union - not Public Sector I would add, but 'old style' manufacturing sector - to the extent of what to say and not say to the employer (and when**) to avoid prejudicing a medical discharge on a financially beneficial 'impaired life' pension basis.

This was all with a genuine and proper medical diagnosis and long term prognosis.

If you go this route you'll need to make a good case. That may or may not be as stressful as your working role, but at least that route is for your wellbeing and not your employers.

(**point noted from Fanfab about allowing your employer to make reasonable adjustments)

EDIT: just an afterthought - do not trust your personnel/human resources department. They are not there to look after your interests. In almost all interactions I have had directly and heard about by the unwary, suggests they will prioritise the company and/or their favourite senior manager over the needs of the individual.

[Lexi72]

Hi Gstyle I went down from full time (private sector) to part time (public sector) about. 7 years ago and it was the best thing I ever did. However, what I have found it is really important to have contact with people so still go into work even though I only have to one day a week. It can be quite isolating if you do not so if you can find a job with contact helping people and can afford to it may be rewarding. Jobs like working in citizens advice (helping people) can be very stressful so think carefully what you might want to do (not too much stress) before making a decision. You also need to think carefully about whether you can afford to stop. If you are in one of the big public sector pension schemes most have generous ill health retirement provisions with different tiers of benefit and different requirements to meet (all involving a medical assessment) . Usually there is a permanence requirement. At 50 this can be quite hard to showIf you look on the website for the scheme there will be a booklet setting out the ill health provisions but talk to CAB before doing anything rash. Also maybe explore with your employer if there is anything more people facing you might be able to move to internally enabling you to still have contact with peopleOr whether you could adjust hours. If you are lucky the public sector can be really supportive Best wishes and hope it all works out and you manage to find a much more rewarding job

[Ageingfast]

high there Gstyle

I retired three years early. Then I did part time for six months. In the same job. That was pretty horrible.

I am quite well off. No mortgage, pleasant bungalow out in the wilds. Very decent savings. State pension and a private pension. But 15 years later the decent savings are slipping . And those left in work are being paid vastly increased amounts. Vastly increased. There is a distinct anti oldies going on. I will not miss the £400 winter fuel hand out, but many will miss it.

Will your pensions keep up with inflation ? Pretty certain they will not. It’s a slippery slope.

I would not retire at 50. Change jobs, move house but at just 50 retirement is not a happy prospect. You really need another 15 years income. At least.

By all means do your sums. But build in inflation. Home in on a couple of your favourite meals. What price were they when you were 35 ?

Can you perhaps concentrate on recovering your health. After you have recovered, then think about early retirement.

I do feel for you and wish I could wave you a magic wand. But life is cruel.

Sooty

[Alfie33]

I worked in a quarry which was very physical. After my heart attack, I went back to work. Then i got really breathless and tired. Then I was diagnosed with ischeamic heart disease so I went on permanent sick with ssp. After ssp finishes you can claim esa . But now im really poorly i get pip. You may also get universal credit. I don't because my wife works part time

[Jako999]

Hi mine was relatively easy, I was a paramedic and following HT, quad CBAG then getting PTSD because of it all I was not going to be able to return to front line work. I was offered a few jobs but nothing really appealed and I didn’t think I’d be able to cope with the stress off others. I was 55 and after what happened to me and what I’d seen at work I decided life is really to short to keep working. I’m fortunate I got I’ll health retirement with out a problem.

Living is the main thing everyone just chase the cash and and it’s not worth it. You can try for I’ll health retirement with out it Jeopardising you job. As the saying goes nothing tried nothing lost.

Good luck.

[Kendalghost]

I had a minor stroke when I was 55, I was off sick for a year and then went down the route of medical retirement. the Occ health Dr that I saw said that I would not work again given how the stoke has affected me, he could see the affect of the stroke on my face given that my smile is now a bit lopsided. When you go down this route you do potentially run the risk losing your job if they deem you medically fit to work - without the medical retirement. Would your GP or heart specialists support you? I had a stroke nurse supporting me. Good luck.

[Gstyle]

Thanks for all your advice. Really appreciated. Had another blip so I haven’t logged in for a few weeks. Stress test now due to possible unstable angina. My disease on the left is possibly getting worse. We will see. Feeling positive though. Had a laugh about CABG with my nurse. Don’t fancy a prolonged 3 hr angioplasty again. Keep strong good people x

[Ewloe]

After catching covid whilst working in the nhs I was trying to work with long covid but had a stemi and cardiac arrest ( only risk they found was I’d had covid) which has left me with some heart failure and a few arrhythmia’s. I took the full sickness time at the end of this I was waiting to see an EP so work wouldn’t come up with any of their ‘reasonable’ adjustments to take me away from the front line. So they finished me on health grounds. I was lucky to be 59 and in the old nhs pension scheme.

I don’t miss work at all and looking back I believe I most likely had burn out after 40 years of nhs. My pension is my lifeline until my state pension kicks in. But I’m enjoying life and not working. Life is too short. It took me a good while to adjust to not working as I’d worked since I was 17. But once I’d accepted things 👍👍.

Good luck