Early retirement health grounds , added years if working part time

Am 55 and due to ill health have been working part time for the past 7 years. HR mentioned that retiring early is an option but I don't know how many added years I might get when only working part time. Am class D ,(pre 95) and have about 27 years so far( I think,not quite sure). From what I've read, I might be entitled to 5 years to bring me upto age 60 , but is this only going to be 2.5 added years because I'm working part time ?

I believe that ill health early retirement is discretionary rather than a right, and subject to medical assessment. Look at the scheme handbook for the guidelines on added years.

HR may have been referring to Cost Neutral Early Retirement? Obviously it's less financially beneficial to you, but it's a certainty that you'll actually get it.

I understand that IHER takes quite a while, so you'll be significantly closer to minimum retirement age when you get it, if you get it. That'll reduce the maximum potential number of additional years.

You can always apply for ill health early retirement first and if you don't get it you can then apply for CNER which you will get.

SquirrelChaser said:

I believe that ill health early retirement is discretionary rather than a right, and subject to medical assessment. Look at the scheme handbook for the guidelines on added years.

HR may have been referring to Cost Neutral Early Retirement? Obviously it's less financially beneficial to you, but it's a certainty that you'll actually get it.

I understand that IHER takes quite a while, so you'll be significantly closer to minimum retirement age when you get it, if you get it. That'll reduce the maximum potential number of additional years.

You can always apply for ill health early retirement first and if you don't get it you can then apply for CNER which you will get.

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Thanks, didn't realize the ill health scheme took so long

A 55 year old employee with over 20 years of reckonable service (full-time equivalent) and a normal retirement age of 60 would normally be eligible for 5 added years if granted ill-health retirement. However, as I understand it, for a part-time employee it is based on their work pattern. So if you are working half-time it would be 2.5 years in your case. You can use the average of the last 3 years if this is more favorable to you.

"When determining service that would have accrued had the person served to retirement age, the calculation should be based on their working pattern at retirement unless the person’s contract requires them to work fluctuating hours, or their normal working hours were reduced in the last three years of pensionable service. In such cases a working/attendance pattern based on the average annual number of hours worked in the last 3 years of pensionable service should be used, if this is more favourable than using the work pattern at retirement."

SquirrelChaser said:

I understand that IHER takes quite a while

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If HR are raising the issue and are supportive I suspect it may not take too long. Of course the relevant medical reports and the opinion of the occupational health department will be required. If the OP is interested in this option they should apply to HR.

For retirement on grounds of ill health in the civil/public service:-
1. You need approval of the Medical Officer,
2. Fulltime service is fully reckonable.
3. Part-Time service is reckonable too, but only the part-time hours worked e.g if you were working half hours only per week, you are entitled to only half of those fulltime hours while working part-time
4. When the fulltime hours are added to the part-time amount, then the added service for retiring on ill health can be added.

Apologies for bad use of English.

Leper said:

Fulltime service is fully reckonable.
3. Part-Time service is reckonable too, but only the part-time hours worked e.g if you were working half hours only per week, you are entitled to only half of those fulltime hours while working part-time

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The part-time service is fully reckonable (pro-rata) for pension calculation purposes, and for length of service purposes.

But if you are working part-time when granted ill-health retirement this will reduce the quantum of notional years that are added for pension purposes. For example, if you would have been be eligible for 5 notional years based on length of actual service and time to normal retirement then this will be reduced to 2.5 years if you have been working half-time for the past 3 years or more.

An exception to this would be a situation in which the part-time hours were agreed for a fixed term period in order to help the employee to return to a normal full time pattern of work. A phased return after sick leave.