Leaving a career early..help please!

CETS71

Hi, I’m a teacher (57) and am struggling to continue due continuous extreme spinal degenerative disc pain since 97 and now chronic migraines.I’m on long term sick again. I receive enhanced mobility pip. I cannot continue as I am, the daily slog is too much. Does anyone hold any good future advice?

kitkat23

make sure you retire on I’ll health retirement and keep all the evidence for your next pip review

luvpink

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/131415/leaving-a-career-early-help-please

Hi welcome to the community

If you repost this under s heading 'early ill health advise needed' some members will come along and advise you.

CETS71

I’ve been told by occ health that I wouldn’t get it as so tight in teaching..you have to prove you can never teach again. I possibly could on paper but pain and constant absences are too much now. I went p/t in 2017 but for my own sanity I need to now finish after 35 yrs before grown out lol 😞

OverlyAnxious

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1001699#Comment_1001699

From a financial perspective, if you have less than £16,000 in savings, you should be eligible for Universal Credit between now and state pension age. If you have more than £16,000 in savings then you may be able to claim New Style ESA instead, as long as you have made enough National Insurance Contributions over the past 2/3 years.

I can't advise on ill health retirement but that does seem like the better option if you can manage that somehow.

luvpink

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1001699#Comment_1001699

Did you get advise from a union?

Holly_Scope

Hi @CETS71 just wanted to say welcome. ☺️

I can see you've had a lot of great advice from members, so I won't add anything more. I hope all goes well with your transition. Please let us know how you get on, and if you've any advice for others (if you're happy to, of course).

Best wishes,

CETS71

thanks all, it’s a stressful time but determined not to write myself off as love my career, so hopefully move to online tutoring so uc or esa is best for now if early retirement doesn’t happen. Thanks for all your advice 😃

Bydand

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1001699#Comment_1001699

Whoever has told you this is talking complete rubbish.Every application for ill health retirement (IHR) should be looked at based on its own merits and the individual involved. Most IHR policies will be based around either that you can no longer do your current job/ role or that you are unable to work fully in any capacity in any job.

Most folks applying have no other choice as they will have a documented history of long term sick, failed back to work plans, OH involvement, failed reasonable adjustments etc.

It is not OH place to say that you would be unlikely to get it or not. Their role is to simply work between both yourself and your employer to best manage a health condition causing difficulty. Should you have exhausted all other avenues to remain at work, then OH should be advising that you would likely merit IHR and support this. The final decision belongs to the pension provider and employer, not OH ( although it’s always best to have OH blessing)

My advice would be too look at your absence management policy and your specific pension policy. Look at the specific wording in pension policy and especially the definitions of the various criteria such as permanency, likehood etc.

Do not be fobbed of by others telling you that you can’t apply, you would be surprised how few employers, including heads of depts, managers etc are not fully conversant with their own policies at all.

Being in a union can also be beneficial, but again not all union reps are the same, some will know the process inside out, others not so much.

Look at the two policies I have mentioned and this should help in decision making. Read over several times until you are quite clear what they are stating.

Just know that permanency of the condition / illness and the associated symptoms is paramount to a successful IHR application. Medical evidence proving this is essential.