Anyone help me with the process of ill health retirement in UK pls??

[Sara_A]

Hi all, I'm 42 yrs and work only 12 hrs a wk now due to my lupus and APS and am seriously struggling to even manage this much now!! I've thought about ill health retirement before but occupational health kind of talked me out of it about 2 yrs ago saying they thought that for my mental health it would be better if I could carry on working for longer.

I seem to b in a constant flare up despite immunosuppressants and steroids from 5mgs to 20mgs. I feel rubbish all the time and am just finding everything so hard and just cannot go on like this anymore

I'm still working from home on the phone so who knows how I will manage actually going back into work!

Any advice on how people applied for ill health retirement would b appreciated pls.

I get daily living pip already x

[junemc]

You need to speak to your HR Dept to get more information. My initial thought is that you won't be considered for ill heath retiral while you are still working. You need to be PERMANENTLY unfit to work to qualify and the fact that you are still working means that you would not meet this criteria. The usual scenario is that someone is signed off work by their doctor and does not return to work. Your employer will have a policy about what then happens. For example, I was entitled to 6 month's full pay followed by 6 month's half pay. At the end of this period I was referred to an Occupational Therapist whose job it is to make an assessment as to whether the employee is indeed permanently unfit to work (in any capacity). The Occupational Therapist will consider whether the employee could be moved to a job with less hours or which might be easier for them to do. As you are already working very short hours this does not sound like a possibility. Do you pay into a work's pension scheme and are therefore entitled to a pension when you retire? All of these are points which you need to consider and which will also determine how your employer responds. Best of luck!

[Sara_A in reply to junemc]

I have had several sickness episodes during my employment and am usually up to the full annual quota for sickness and am now signed off sick I was off for 2 wks and tried to go back last wk but have ended up having to go off again and now signed off for 4 wks. I've always been under occ health since my nursing career started in my 20's.

My current employer of 11 yrs have made reasonable adjustments at work so that I can remain working but even with this I'm now seriously struggling. I'm having the worst flare ever and struggling with all aspects of daily life.

My children of 5 and 8 yrs often have to undress me and put my pyjamas on for me and help me a lot at home. I'm struggling to look after them as I'd like to and how a mother without this condition would.

I currently cant see me being able to go back to work unless my conditions take a massive turn around but obviously can't manage a young family if I just quit my job. I have thought about if I could do another job but I really dont think it's the type of work I'm doing cos at the moment I'm sat at home phoning people so it's not exactly physically strenuous. But I would still have to go out to work and be reliable and not be unwell everyday!

So I have to let work well HR know of my intentions to apply for ill health retirement before I can even look at it.

Yes I've been paying into my NHS pension.

Thanks x

[junemc in reply to Sara_A]

Are you still working for the NHS? This will have a very clearly defined policy re ill health retiral. There will be a process which will have to be followed. I imagine you will be referred again to Occupational Health and it will assess you again and decide whether you qualify. They will aim to keep you at work if at all possible, particularly as you are young and well away from your normal retirement age. You must stress to Occupational Heath how difficult you are finding the situation and are struggling to cope. If you manage to get permanent ill-health retiral you will automatically receive your pension and this would include a lump sum plus a monthly payment. How much you get obviously depends on how much and how long you have paid into the scheme. You should be able to get a quote via HR. As for benefits, you could contact the Citizens Advice Bureau for advice. As far as I am aware all benefits except PIP are means tested so much depends on the total income coming into your household. Do you have a partner who contributes to the household budget? Again his/her income would be taken into account. At this stage you really need to get facts and figures to help you make a decision. Finally, I wondered what your doctor has to say. He has signed you off work for the moment but does he consider your health problems to be permanent? Can he help you in this process? My doctor signed me off for months at a time as it was clear I would not be returning to work. I think you will feel less stressed once you know where you stand.

[Wolf_1]

Hello Sara_AI am 49 and at the age of 42 I could not go to work no more. I get the higher rate Motability and ESA and tax credits due to my partner working part time. Due to my ill health and knowing I would not be working ever again, did you know that with a note from your doctor that you can draw money from your pension fund, only if you have left work full time due to ill health. I miss work but I read a lot and speak to family regularly so as for my mental health I’m fine. I’m not suggesting you delve into your pension but you may find you can live with what the state provides. I pay a mortgage and still live ok and to be honest I feel so much better since leaving work due to stress!

Good Luck

Wolf_1 🦋😴🐺

[Sara_A in reply to Wolf_1]

So u didn't retire on ill health? How did u go about getting money from your pension do u remember what u had to do and who u had to contact etc? Was the letter from ur consultant or gp??

I get lower rate daily living pip at the moment

Does the rest of ur benefits depend on ur partners income do u know?

Thanks so much

[Wolf_1 in reply to Sara_A]

Hello Sara_AI get the higher rate and ESA. I got my letter from my GP when I was forced to leave work and my heating broke. I had no savings so I sent the GP’s letter to my pension company and received what’s called a drawdown, which means I took a certain amount from my pension. I am never going to work due to my SLE

Good luck

Wolf_1 🦋😴🐺

[Kristina14]

What is the daily living pip?

[Sara_A in reply to Kristina14]

What do u mean how much do I get??