Early retirement

[Gfish]

Hi ,does anyone have experience of retiring from teaching on full pension due to inability to sustain the job ( low energy levels, repeated infections , absences, etc over a 4 year period even after reducing to part time) post Ivor lewis? I would really appreciate some advice before taking on the stress of this process.

Look forward to hearing from you,

Thanks.

[champagnelover]

I took early retirement from teaching but that was immediately after my op. I didn't return so not sure I can help. I found the process was easy for me. Are you a Union member, can they help? I do know my pension was based on the number of years service and final salary and I am aware that this might be different now. Also I assume you have looked at the Teachers Pension website which has useful advice. It does sound as if you have grounds for early retirement. Good luck

[brucemillar]

Sorry I cannot help.

I am watching this with interest, as I am considering the same, although not from teaching.

I work in the private sector and am worried that the mere mention of my thoughts will trigger something that I cannot turn off. I may get what I wish for and regret it. My company were really great to me during and after my chemo & surgery etc. It somehow feels disloyal to now say "I want out".

I can do the job. I don't enjoy the job now. It is a job I loved with people I really like and a great company. But life has changed and I have changed. The world kept on spinning when I didn't and now I struggle every day to get motivated. I worry that my constant "niggles" with my health are a drain on others and that they see me as "the guy who had cancer?" I am already aware that there is different way of treating me that is meant with kindness, but irritates me - ungrateful?

Please do keep us updated. I wish you well and hope that you get what you want.

[Hidden]

I think there is a stage when you view the ability to return to work and to cope as something that is a milestone on the recovery path to indicate that you really are over it and back to as near normal as you can manage.

It is very unusual indeed for energy and resilience levels to be the same as before, and there are other complications like changes of attitude to life in general and values that having a serious illness brings with it.

There are some issues like finance that need a bit of homework to work out what you would be entitled to, whether a significant service milestone is approaching that would make a difference to the pension and so on. It is often possible to research this without your employer knowing. And how much you really enjoy the work (or might enjoy it more if you worked fewer hours, and so on)

After that it is an issue of how you feel about leaving work, the comradeship of colleagues, and being 'retired' or 'semi-retired', which is a mental thing. And above all working out what is the best for you and your future happiness.