What happens when you are too ill to work but your pension isn’t enough to sustain you forever?
I really feel that I will have to take ill health retirement in the near future. I am a teacher and having more and more relapses since I had covid in November. Cognitively suffering a lot as well as with mobility. Ive only recently been diagnosed but the neuro suspects my MS is progressive.
My issue is that I currently work part time due to my twins being 2 and childcare being so expensive. I fully planned to teach full time again when they go to school. But if I retire now my average salary will be low and they will use that figure to calculate my pension, of which I will only get half of. Plus it is likely to be tier 2 so I can’t work after that.
Has anyone experienced this? Im assuming that I can’t make the case that I would have returned full time in the near future? Can they force me to retire on ill health? Sorry for all of the questions.
I’m no expert but I think your pension can only be calculated on your actual contributions.
Whatever you do you must not resign - If you have a prolonged absence then Human Resources become involved. Bear in mind that you can have reasonable adjustments made to support you continuing work.
If you’re in a union you need to get advice from them.
There is a stepping down form you can complete. Also, it depends the tier you get whether they add to it or not.
In some industries, it can make a difference whether you have made a permanent (as in, not time-bounded) change in your contractual hours or whether you have started a part-time career break which incorporates a commitment to return to f/t duties after a set period. If it’s the former, I don’t think you have much of a hope or having your IHR pension calculated on anything other than your accrued service + assumed p/t service out to your normal retirement date. But it all depends on what your pension scheme rules are.
Alison
p.s. I’m afraid this is just one of the hidden forms of sex discrimination: mothers are much more likely than fathers to be working part-time when the music stops, so to speak. Come to think of it, maybe there’s a case to be made on that basis. But that would be a long road, for sure.