Teacher I'll health retirement

[BG2015]

Have any teachers retired due to ill health?

Just wondering if it was easy to do or whether it was a bit of a battle.

I'm nearly 54 and have been teaching since 1996 so in both pension schemes. I've recently had breast cancer (recovered) and have been suffering with recurrent breathlessness and asthma attacks. I'm now referred to the respiratory team. Steroids are helping at the moment but they are due to stop at the end of December.

I've been teaching a class fulltime since September but my head has decided to re-direct my role and removed me from the classroom for my own well-being. I'm now teaching small groups and covering PPA.

I didn't want to be removed from my class and am feeling so pushed out. I am worried about my continued breathlessness being an issue too but feel my HT has gone about it all in the wrong way.

I'm covering all bases and have been looking at ill health retirement. I wasn't planning on retiring until I was 57/58 and my mortgage would then be paid off.

I just don't want to be at work anymore and feel so depressed.

I don't know about teaching specifically but in my healthcare role I've dealt with people going through ill health retirement in a variety of sectors.
Usually its people who are off long term sick and not going to be able to return to work. It usually needs the backing of occupational health as they would have to declare you medically unfit to do your job. To get your pension early your Drs and OH have to produce reports to say your health problems are permanent and you're not likely to improve.

I don't have any experience of someone who's actually at work and going for ill health retirement

Echoing the poster above, no experience of working with teachers but the people I've dealt with who've had ill health retirement have been off on long-term sick and aren't capable of returning to the workforce.

Financially it's a hugely expensive benefit - there's typically no reduction for early payment, so if your normal retirement age was 65 and you were due a pension of £20k, to take it at 54 with no reduction is an extra £220k. So you can see why it's not easy to get.

Having said that, it's definitely worth investigating all of your options.

I read your other thread and I really think that your headteacher is acting in your best interests. I know how tough it must be for you. I really feel for you and I hope you make a good recovery.

This is interesting. I'm 54 & on long term sick from teaching as I have cancer. I've been off since June. I may not get back next year as I'm Stage 4 & may need to be on maintenance chemo. I am also wondering how easy it would be to take early retirement due to ill health. I need to do some research, after my January scan & I know what's what. I wasn't sure how easy it would be to do.

I hope you manage to retire early OP. I know that feeling of not really wanting to go back. In the time I've been off I've lost my dad & had to put my mam in a home. I see more of my kids & grandkids too, & I just won't have time to see rhem & visit mam as much if I go back to work full time. Cancer totally changes your perspectives, so I understand that feeling of not wanting to be there, especially with your breathlessness.

If I get fit enough to return to work, I'd like to be part time - if I can afford it.

Good luck OP.

I got it.

You have to be very meticulous and thorough. 49% of applicants get it. The main reason for rejection is insufficient evidence.

l had had several absences previously, previous Occ health input and Access to work. I had 4 medical reports.

Thr most important thing is this: it has to say that there is no cure, you’ve exhausted all main treatments and any remaining treatment will improve quality of life and NOT enable you to carry on working.

l was in the NEU and they were just amazing in terms of support,

lt can be done!

I think if you're Stage 4 I wouldn't even contemplate going back. From what I've read you don't have to have incurable cancer to get it. I would honestly look into more if I was you.

My worry is once I come off the steroids the breathlessness and coughing will return. I'm going for a lung function test in January and just waiting to hear results back from a CT scan. Praying there's nothing sinister lurking in my lungs.

They did question fibrosis on my lungs from the radiotherapy but ruled that out, but the CT scan will pick that up if it's there I'm sure.

At the moment the steroids are doing there thing but I'm still coughing quite a bit.

There's quite a few posts on the Breast Cancer Now forum about teachers who have got ill health retirement.

@BG2015 you are already some of the way there. They’ve had to adjust your job, that’s important in terms of getting it.

Superb advice @ArseInTheCoOpWindow

DH got early retirement from the CofE, due to progressive MS, this was very hard to get but he was persistent and followed Arse's criteria.

Be tenacious, and have the support of your union. All the best @BG2015

I think your HT is acting in your best interests and that of the school , you are not well enough to be in work and to avoid disruption to your classes they have made the decision to make your life a bit easier too - you’re not tied down to any classes then.

I totally disagree.

Although the sentiment is there he has made a bad management decision without involving me, or occupational health. What he has done is too drastic. I could have job shared.

I've had a telephone appointment with my oncologist today who has said my CT scan shows my left lung has had infection, which is now showing sign of recovery. They want to re-scan me in a couple of months.

I'm hoping that the Steroids have finally enabled my body to repair.

I disagree too. He’s moved you on without consulting you when you are vulnurable. He sounds like a knob.

You stand more chance of getting I'll health retirement if you are on sick. It has to be demonstrated that you can't fulfil your role or another role within the school. If you can then they assume (OH) that you can carry on working. You are saying you can so I doubt your claim would be successful at the moment. Seek help from your union.

@pompomdaisy

You just have to demonstrate you can’t teach anymore. There’s 2 levels.

One where you can’t teach and one where you can’t work ( this one is enhanced). You don’t choose, pension agencies decide.

But l agree you have to be off sick to get it usually. ( not always)

Firstly i am really sorry that you are unwell. With regard to retiring early, generally pensions offer early retirement when you have ill health or serious ill health. The criteria for the serious ill health is that you have less than 12 months to live. The ill health one is harder to prove and you have to meet a strict criteria. I would suggest you write out the questions you want answered and phone your pension people and take it from there. Best of luck.

Hi
can OH sign someone off sick from work because of severe asthma exacerbation ?

I don't think Occupational Health can, it has to be your GP.

OH are there to liase with you and your workplace and support you on returning to work and recommending ways to enable this.

You could use your sickpay first, teachers have good rates of sick pay for a year if you have worked long enough...then you might be fit to return, or Early Retirement may be the sensible route. The previous pension scheme could be
accessed at 55?