Ill health retirement?

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

I’m done l think,

Years of mental health disorders which are burdensome and hard work. No adjustments made at work for them, even though I’m very much disabled by them.

They’ve spiralled out of control with Covid, menopause and everything else, and I’m off sick for the foreseeable.Union has suggested ill health retirement.

Has anyone else done this? I’m sick of fighting my illness all the time. But I like my classes and my colleagues. Not overly keen on the rest, l find it stressful and it has affected me mentally for years. I’m kind of scared to let go though. Change is always a big catalyst for my mental health issues.

Anyone done this?

Bump

I'm so sorry to hear you're unwell, The Emoji. Here's a good place to start:

www.teacherspensions.co.uk/members/working-life/life-events/ill-health.aspx

Have you kept records of your requests for adjustments?

They stopped any adjustments 3 years ago as they couldn’t staff them.

I have Access to Work. I wanted in class support for difficult classes. They couldn’t staff it.

So a friend popped in one day a week to help me. But I’ve had no real adjustments.

I've known a number of colleagues take ill health retirement, though not lately. Also, I was not part of their process, which is why I asked about keeping records of anything to do with your requests for help at school. I've little doubt that any way in which you weren't helped will strengthen your case.

I would not discuss this with your SLT at this age, or any colleague.

If you are in a union, consult at region, not branch level, as the branch rep will only go to region anyway for this kind of case work.

I’ve only done this for one member of staff. She had cerebral palsy which was making her increasingly immobile and in pain so it was a physical reason rather than a mental one. I imagine the process is the same though? We had to produce her Occupational Health reports to show all the adjustments had been auctioned and then she was reassessed to show her deterioration and the fact she couldn’t cope even with the adjustments. It was also clear she wasn’t safe as she was in danger of falling, and this also meant she couldn’t keep the children safe. I think she was about 56, and a member of the support staff, so her pension started four years early.