Hello everyone Im looking for advice from anyone who is a teacher and applied for ill health retirement. Any advice gratefully received as its all a b ot scary at the moment.
I’m in the same boat, my teaching contract was terminated today and I’m just awaiting the paperwork from HR to get my application away. I get how scary it is - the whole process is unbelievably stressful and there are no guarantees of the application being accepted or at what level of pension( there are two tiers). What stage are you at just now. Are you considering it as an option or have you started the process? My union have been very helpful with me and I have a really supportive GP and MS nurse.
I just took early retirement but continue to do supply.
Hello fellow teachers and anyone else who wants sound advice from my own experience.
I went into teaching after redundancy from main job, when I was 50.
When I was 59 the MS became worse and I could only walk with a stick.
I went sick, after a couple of months, the personnel department asked me to visit the College GP .
I saw him a very pleasant chap and he said he was willing to sign me off on ill health, I thought great.
Spoke to my wife who used to be in personnel and she said wait a bit too quick, speak to teachers pension people.
Spoke to teachers pension and they said you will gain nothing extra in benefits on ill health, just wait.
After a couple of months on the sick the personnel department asked me to pop in and they said, we like to offer you a redundancy package of £12,000 and your teachers pension. They wanted to get rid of me, GREAT.
Accepted, that extra 12K came in handy as 10 years later I can only walk with a stroller and would gladly give it back to be able to walk normally.
So please do not accept the first offer, they cannot just sack you if you are permanent and they may be more desperate than you think to pay you up, as they cannot replace you whilst you are on the books.
You have more aces than you think, I know it is stressful but sit tight and wait you still get paid.
Bertie
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