NHS ill health retirement/ESA/PIP advice please

[Mervyn937]

Dear all, I have a long term ill health condition, have many months off every year. Feel ashamed about this & demoralised. Have worked for NHS 30 plus years continuous service, low grade. Never claimed benefits, am very scared. Single with no additional income. My pay recently stopped. Payroll sent me an SSP1 completed form before this. I visited citizens advice & a job centre end of last week. Advised to apply for ESA which I did & submitted my current fit note to DWP online. Can anyone please advise as to whether ESA is appropriate? Given I am still employed, though getting no pay, but cannot imagine going back to the NHS.
Close friends & family have been concerned over the yrs & suggested I apply for PIP. Neither my GPs nor previous Consultants have suggested I apply for PIP. I have never had the courage to apply for it.
A family member has previously suggested I apply for NHS ill health retirement. And has suggested this again today. The union rep has said to ask my manager for this. A friend thinks I only have 20 days to complete and submit this application? An recently retired NHS manager friend has always said I won't get ill health retirement. Can anyone advise please?

I do apologise for my confusing and long message, talking about ill health retirement, ESA, PIP. I'm not doing great. Please ask any questions.

Thank you.

I took ill health retirement from the nhs in about 2017, however claimed esa before I was even dismissed (on ill health grounds). Hr actually advised I apply for retirement and its them that made the referral (was 35 at the time and gp/ consultant said they support but it's really hard to get I got the highest level).
So I applied for esa at point of sickness benefit stopping (about January), got accepted April, applied at same time for Pip (got that in the june) and applied for ill health retirement in the January, was dismissed on ill health grounds in the April and got my retirement accepted in the July.
With the ill health retirement there was lots of hoops to jump through. You/hr have to proove that all alternative jobs have been looked at as well as reasonable adjustments (eg part time hours, short days etc). Then I was assessed by two independent doctors. They have to say either they think you can work in that job or another job, work but not presently (lower level pension awarded), never work again (higher level pension). It's not easy was a very stressful year (especially when ill) but has been worth it for the Financial security (as much as living on benefits gives you).
What ever you do do not resign its better to be dismissed (that's what my union told me) as you get a better pension if that happens and it's proof of your inability to work at present for benefits.

NHS ill health retirement is very hard to get OP, partly because there are SO many roles and so very possibly one you can do. Depends on your diagnosis.

Hi OP, I’m a PIP assessor. Are you able to share any more details about your diagnosis/symptoms/treatment? Feel free to private message me

Hi Houseflatboatplanejump, thanks so much for your reply, really kind & really appreciated. I have so many questions. But I'm concerned about being recognised by the details in my post, even though I haven't put why I'm off sick, my age, the job I do etc. Could I direct message you please? Though completely understand if not. Thanks very much again for your reply.

Hi nahthatsnotforme, thanks very much for your reply, really appreciated. I had never thought of this! Feel so stupid. Apologies for not including my diagnosis, which I understand would help in replying. Concerned about colleagues recognising me already from the details I have given. Thanks very much again for your reply.

No problem i can try to answer them. It was quite a while ago so can't remember everything.
I do agree with @nahthatsnotforme a big part of hr /occupational health's role seemed to be asking if there was literally any job in the nhs that I could do (then asking if there was any job outside the nhs I could do). Basically trying to find a way in which I could work (and not get ill health retirement). So I had to try working from home, short days, less hours (using my annual leave), split days off, regular rest periods at work etc.

I was in a similar situation but not NHS.

I decided not to take ill health retirement as it is a long a complex process and honestly I couldn't face it.

The ESA and PIP processes are very similar but do not transfer so you do need to do both.

I spent a long time (about a month) gathering together medical evidence which I then used for both applications. The forms are very similar.

Having done that I was surprised that the systems were if somewhat slow did seem to be fair.

Hi OP, I’m currently in the same position that you were, im just wondering how this all went for you and if you were granted ill health retirement? Many thanks