Financial worries

[kazb]

Thought things couldn't get worse .... wrong

Hi All this is the e-mail i have just received from the university.



Hello Karen,

Thank you for your email, I’m very sorry to hear about your diagnosis.

You are a member of UMSS and joined the scheme in October 2012. UMSS rules allow for payment of an early retirement or an ill health pension where a member has contributed to the scheme for at least 5 years; sadly this means that were you to leave work now you could not apply for an ill health or early retirement pension. With less than 5 years’ membership, the earliest a pension could be paid is from age 65.

 

[kazb]

update

contacted work as you can see from above post... great.
Also contacted PIP and put that in place,will send me forms to complete, also contacted NHS pension and got forms downloaded and will give to GP tomorrow.
Not sure if i can claim ESA, but will ask...... what do u all think.

 

[CynthsDaugh]

Hi Kazb,

Sorry you are facing this. I also work at a university, (not the one linked to my location!), and we do have an 'employee assistance' scheme where help and advice are available including on health, financial and legal matters. Your Uni probably has a similar scheme, perhaps it might be worth while giving them a call and see what advice they can give? I'm sure it would be confidential and impartial.

Sally

 

[kazb]

thanks

Hi Sally,
Thank you, i will contact them and see what they advice.

 

[Margarita]

I have sent the signed disclosure letter to the university doctor and now await them getting back to me after they get have spoken with my consultant.
I am term time only at the university and should be going back in september, looks like this may not be happening at the moment.
So i think if i am correct in saying, everyone is saying don't just leave work, let them finish me on ill health.
If i get stressed with it all and the assessments, would you suggest i speak with my GP or Consultant or both ??.
To be honest i am unsure if i will be able to undertake the nursing work/job i used to do as keep forgetting things i need to know, to do the job.
I am only 53,can i claim pension at 55 , from work ??.
The university at the moment is making lots of people redundant and the unision is involved with this as everyone is unhappy, so if they can get rid of me they will be happy.
Do you suggest i speak with my Unison rep ??.

All help from you kind people is the only help i am getting, so a big thankyou xxx

Yes, you can get your work pension at the age of 55 years old.
I Got a Lump sum, then a small amount money every 4 weeks When I was 55
From A job I had back in 1989.

If I was you yes speak to a Unison rep ASAP

 

[kazb]

sad

As you can see from my prev post i cannot claim anything with my pension as only been in it since 2012 and it has to be 5 years. I have asked the advice from unison,so will let you know how i go on.
Maybe i should go on the sick until oct 2017, then i will have been in the psnsion for the 5 yrs then LOL.

 

[Margarita]

Maybe i should go on the sick until oct 2017, then i will have been in the psnsion for the 5 yrs then LOL./QUOTE]

That is a good idea .
But is confusing as I wonder if they still pay your pension while you are Sick

Thats why it be good to talking to the union rep, asking that question also .

 

[kazb]

really dont need more confusion x

 

[chick1962]

Not as easy as work dismissed my husband who has Alzheimers due to his sickness record!!!! Even though the work doctor declared him unfit for work !


Sent from my iPhone using Talking Point

 

[Margarita]

Sorry Kazb ((hugs)) xx

Did not mean to confuse you more .

Should of said write down every question you need to ask union Rep

Seems even company is different .

Colleagues with long term medcal condition with doctors notes our put on a different leave of absents .
Then normal day to day sickness

So they can't sack a colleague.

(We have a strong union)

 

[kazb]

Thanks

Hi all thanks for your kind replies.
I have just tried to work out id i can claim any benefits etc, even if i can i will be £900 a month worse off, how is this fair.

 

[Sue J]

Hi kazb

I too was a nurse but my last job before I lost it due to severe symptoms was not as I was working part time whilst caring. It has been a fight to keep my home but with excellent advice from CAB I managed to get DLA and ESA contributory and income based - to say it has been a nightmare is an understatement.

I did however have help from Age UK via CAB when I reached 50. I did not anticipate not getting better As I come to terms with my condition, I still struggle to get a diagnosis , I have sought advice re. my pension and need/ ability to get it early or at 55.

I have an old NHS pension so need to follow up the links that others have kindly posted on here. I was recently advised that whilst I am on benefits, my contributions are being paid and if I did draw my pension early it would affect my benefits, so was advised not to.

If you have a diagnosis I cannot understand why you would not be awarded benefits.

My difficulty has/is getting my benefits increased if I apply for PIP because it seems impossible to quantify how this condition affects my life, being able to communicate it so that it fits into their boxes is extremely difficult, and if the form is done on a day when I seem 'fine' it obscures things further. Today I can write this, yesterday I wouldn't have been able and later today or tomorrow I also may not along with all of the other skills/abilities I used to have. I fully understand your fears, anxiety about being assessed.

Sorry if this is too lengthy and don't know if it is of any help to you.

Best wishes
Sue

Paperwork is a nightmare for me, understanding and dealing with it and having always been an independent person very difficult to ask for help with it, I still want to be able to do it for myself, even if I can't.

 

[Pickles53]

Maybe i should go on the sick until oct 2017, then i will have been in the psnsion for the 5 yrs then LOL./QUOTE]

That is a good idea .
But is confusing as I wonder if they still pay your pension while you are Sick

Thats why it be good to talking to the union rep, asking that question also .

Somewhere there must be a terms and conditions document from when you started the job, or a HR manual of policies and procedures. Have a look at the sickness and absence policies. A former colleague of mine was on sick leave for more than a year. She was still an employee and remained a member of the pension scheme.

It really will depend on exactly what the rules are for your particular organisation, as effectively when you took the job you accepted the terms of employment. But your union rep should be able to help you fight for the most you are entitled to.

 

[kazb]

thank you

I have got an apoointment in september 13th with my unison rep, so hopefully will find out more then.
Also got an appointment with the pension manager on friday, going to take husband with me,as union rep on holiday. But will ask her to document everything and my husband has an amazing memory(lucky one of us has, lol)..
Alos got an appoontment to see a Socila worker at the hospital. So will let you all know how things go.
Just to say thank you all for your kind help and advice, maybe i can help someone else once i have all the info.