ILL HEALTH RETIREMENT

moneyhelper.org.uk/en/pensi...

Morning. This is a recurring post on here, so I thought I would pass on this resource. Which presumably I used, as is in my ‘bookmarks’..🤪

[oldtimer]

More to the point - was it useful? If it was then it's good to have it posted on here.

[Hidden in reply to oldtimer]

I wouldn’t have kept it otherwise.

[Hidden]

This is an area of real importance and one people quite often don't think about until it is too late. You are fortunate if you work for an employer who has a work pension scheme in place to safe guard at not being able to continue work because of ill health. People need to ask themselves what they can do to ensure they have some kind of financial help if they have to retire early.

[Blueskysunshine in reply to Hidden]

I’ll look again when I’m less tired, but it seems that your up a creek without a paddle if you’ve only had a basic work pension, and only for a few years. I did my pension forecast, which wasn’t great reading. It’s another 7 years till I get my state pension.

[Hidden in reply to Blueskysunshine]

The problem is RA can take you by surprise at any stage in your life - PIP is so difficult to get and then to keep - an unpredictable way of receiving financial help whilst you can be virtually disabled with RA for long term or intermittent periods. If you don't have an early retirement financial option in place it can be a massive problem.

[Blueskysunshine in reply to Hidden]

True but to have a financial option in place, you need a good pension, or to have worked to build up savings. I don’t have a stack of money anywhere. Due to RA, I’ve worked part-time for the last 20 years and I live alone, so don’t have any financial support from a partner. There must be many others like me on here. Anyone got any bright ideas? (Do I need to buy a short skirt and fishnet stockings? 🤣)

[Hidden in reply to Blueskysunshine]

Yep this is a problem which should be addressed by the powers that be. PIP and social benefits may help - you probably should seek advice from NRAS and citizens' advice. Hope you manage to find help.

[Hidden in reply to Blueskysunshine]

Morning. Are you getting (Disabled) Tax Credits?? You are entitled to some if you work over 16 hours (check though because Universal Credit has changed a lot of things). I would go on a ‘benefits calculator’ and put in a few options to see what works best for you. Historically if you earned under £143 and worked less than 16 hours, you could claim ESA and keep up to £143 as it was classed as ‘Permitted Work’. I would do some investigating x

What you say about work pensions is true, if you will only get a little amount (even with enhanced bits for an ill-health retirement), any pension you do get is then taken off any benefits you receive. It is a cruel anomaly. If you are well enough to work, you are allowed to ‘keep’ your wages (up to £143); if you are too ill to work you can’t ‘keep’ any pension, it is all taken away… Which surely breaks the Equality Act.

As you say, if you have had health issues throughout your working life you are …………. (insert your own choice word here).