Can I finish work early ? Have a nhs pension am now self employed.... Got ET. Had it 17 years. HU 1000mg a day for 12 years

[DENMOOR]

...I am 50 this year..arghh! Got 17 years nhs superannuation pension. Was wondering if anyone knows I I would be eligible to draw my pension early due to health?? Any comments would be most appreciated!

Denise

[fannetastic]

Hi Denise. I too worked for NHS and I was able to take my superannuation lump sum and monthly pension due to ill health, BUT I had to take it BEFORE I was 50. So double check the facts with the pensions office and if its correct get in quick as I had to go through all the occupational health rubbish, which takes time. I got mine 9 days before I was 50. . Good luck with it and I hope it applys in your case. Anne x

[DENMOOR]

Hi Anne

THANKS for your reply! Very encouraging. Do you have ET??

I would love to finish tomorrow!

D x

[fannetastic]

No Denise,

I don't have ET or any of the other well known ones. Although I have MPN jack 2 pos, nothing has presented itself yet. I have loads of symptoms of PV/ET/MF I don't as yet have any definite diagnosis . Take what you can, like me you work your socks off for years, so take retirement while you can, lifes far too short.

Anne. x

[DENMOOR]

Bless you am so pleased you got it. Does my consultant have to get involved with my early pension claim. If I took it early though I am worried I was lose half of it

D x

[fannetastic]

Occupational health will need letters from GP and any medical records from any consultant you have seen. It all may be different now though as I was medically retired nearly 17 year ago. 67 this March. I got a lump sum and the rest was commuted to a monthly pension. I don't think you will loose anything, but check.. I think you are better off getting medical discharge that just taking early retirement.. Its all so long ago for me and things have probably changed a lot, plus I live in Scotland so again may be different.. All I can say is GO FOR IT but do research first.. make it quick though as the day you are 50 it changes and you cant touch it till you are of pensionable age, in your case I think its... wait for it....65 years 9 month and 21 days... who is to say we will still be here or if we are, will we be well enough to enjoy the money...I have had some wonderful holidays and beautiful memories on my money, now I am getting tired and struggling on holiday, so once again, GO GO GO for it.

Anne x

[DENMOOR in reply to fannetastic]

Hi Anne

Ahh bless you! I will ! I shall ring the pension people first to see what they say. Some mornings I struggle to get out of bed let alone drive 100 miles to get to my training venue. Plus a single parent with 2 teenagers. So hard at times and under pressure to keep working when so tired at times. So glad you had lovely hols

Denise x

[fannetastic]

That's my girl. That's a long way to go to work, especially when getting up in the morning is a bummer .I see a lot of MPN patients have applied for DLA and have been successful . Its a bit of a pain ( no pun intended ) lol. getting the forms filled in but if you get it will mean peace of mind that there is some extra money coming in from another source. Keep me up to date how you get on.

Anne x

[DENMOOR in reply to fannetastic]

Thanks Anne

That is fantastic advice! I will def look into it. My fiancé left me last summer after 5 years. Been hard for us all and just have to soldier on like a robot. Worked all my life. Paramedic training manager and now I have a small training company which just pays the bills. Not sure my body will last and now got stabbing head pains which doc thinks I have trigeminal neuralgia . Just something else.

D x

[JediReject]

Hi Denmoor - Long time no hear. You will miss the discipline and structure of work. Ladies are born to work and you obviously have exceptional drive. If you think you will get fulfilment tidying up after your teens then believe me it soon grates on you. . I would advise you to work til you drop even if you have to take a job in Maccy D's wearing a pink baseball cap - backwards of course- you'll soon be living it 'large' shovelling fries and dealing with mouthty spotty youths demanding more ketchup. . . . Hmmm . . .

Actually forget that crap and do your very best to get pensioned because if you feel anything like I do on an average day it takes me all my effort to drag myself from my pit and do something worthwhile. Good luck x

[DENMOOR in reply to JediReject]

Hi how are you doing? Not been on a while! Hope you're ok? Getting really tired now and could flop some days. Going to look into it but knowing my luck I will be financially worse off so will have no choice to work till I drop!

Denise

[JediReject]

Im better than you by the sound of it , still poppin them tabs and takin my anaesthetic in pint pots. Aye it wud be gud if you cud step off the gas coz even that driving can leave you worn out. I am now refusing to drive at night as I dont feel fully confident with it, mainly due to tiredness and how lights of on-coming traffic can momentarily throw me a tad, so i dont envy you your trips. Fanetastic is right that you will need the support of your GP if you want to claim any PIP or get any type of medical retirement. I put a detailed claim in for ESA but I reckon without my GPs supporting letter to back it up I wouldn't have had any success. Take care x

[DENMOOR in reply to JediReject]

Ahh that's great for you!

Funny that as I am not good at driving home in the dark. I used to be but oncoming lights throw me into a slight wobble, probs cos tired.

Shall let you know what I find out.

TTFN

D x

[Hidden]

Hi Denmoor

What a coincidence I too have been toying with the idea of taking early retirement as I have just had the most awful couple of months with infection after infection and my blood playing up because I had to come off the Hu for a week and it went haywire again. Anyway all that aside, I too work for the NHS and I contacted our payroll dept just over a week ago and asked them if I could have some projections. I am 55 by the way. I asked for a projection for retirement now, retirement at 60 and projections for Tier 1 and Tier 2 ill health retirement. They were fantastic and I got the figures last Friday sent to my home address. I can tell you that if you are fortunate enough to get Tier 2 it is a tad higher than what you can expect to receive at 60. I was very surprised. So if you feel the need to go for it just you go for it girl, good luck and Best wishes Mallard

[DENMOOR in reply to Hidden]

Hi Mallard thanks for the info !! Very helpful ..I have my projections but 17 years paying I to the pension gives me an annual income of 6 grand if I finish at 60! Cannot live on that so I may have to work till I collapse! Hope you are sorted now ..

Denise

[Hidden]

Hi Denise I am caught between a rock and a hard place - like you my final pension isn't great, however, at 60 it would be doable because my mortgage will be paid off but until then its definitely a no goer. Just found out this pm they are moving my department to another base 10 miles away, I am so ticked off you wouldn't believe, I am not as confident on motorways as I used to be and driving in the dark is scary as the glare from other headlights disorientates me.

[DENMOOR]

Hi Mallard

That is not good!! And so annoying . Like you I am not good driving in the dark now. I used to be . Was a Paramedic for years and never bothered me working nights. I hate the glare of teh head lights and windy roads with no street lights stress me abit. I have to battle on I guess like you as do not think could afford to pack up for a few years yet!

[suzyhart]

Hi i am in the process of applying for ill health retirement, 33 yrs in the nhs. I have brittle asthma and oestioartritus in most joints, had a hip replacement 4 yrs ago shoulder op last year. don't know if they will agree to ill health retirement in the nhs. any thoughts

[suzyhart]

hi