Diabetic Retirement :-))

[Bluenosesol]

Its a funny thing, I have arthritis, sleep apnoia, gout and T2. I am 53.
My recovery process is well under way and I havent felt this well for donkeys!.
However, I recently learned that private pension companies will pay a premium to diabetics due to an expected reduction in life expectancy. (We should all take advantage because the life expectancy gap between diabetics and non diabetics is closing quickly!!!).
Today I called my company pension scheme to ask if they would pay me an enhanced pension if I retired early. They advised me that they do not do this automatically as do private schemes, BUT suggested that if I applied for early medical retirement on the grounds of T2, then I could get an early near full pension!!!.
I am tempted to apply for early medical retirement, then spend my time doing voluntary work. I do have a certain degree of "guilt" about trying this.
Just wandered if any other forumees? have explored such avenues?.

Steve.

 

[lionrampant]

So long as you're not somehow screwing over the rest of us by making diabetes look like a disability, I say go for it. Milk the pension for all it's worth. It's a company pension afterall, not state money.

 

[humph]

Sounds like a very good plan indeed.

 

[Spiral]

To get early retirenent on health grounds you actually need to have been ill. The evidence for this illness is in your sickness record.

My mum tried to get early retirement on the grounds of her arthritis, but her very down to earth attitiude of not wanting to let people down meant that she did actually keep going in to work. She was a wreak at home after a day walking around the school, with loads of steps (she was the forerunner of a teaching assistant in the 1970s). She eventualy realised after a few days in bed with a bout of flu, that her knees were not aching, but the problem was getting worse when she was at school and she tried to take early retirement.

At this point, she found out that she didn't have enough years service to get a full pension. The knees carried on getting worse and she eventually went off sick and after 6 months got early retirement on health grounds.

This may be what you mean by the "premium", in her case she got a full pension when her actual years of service mean that she wasn't eligible for the full pension - although this would be different now as the missing years were because she was at home with her children.

To get any kind of premium on health grounds you need to meet certain criteria. Simply having diabetes does not qualify you for disability benefits (or even free prescriptions). To get disability benefits you need a disability that prevents you from carrying out the activities of daily living and taking diabetic medication is the gateway to free precriptions.

From my experience, pensions are the same. Although there may be a premium if you actully meet teh health criteria. They don't make it easy!

 

[smillingjimmyc]

i would have thought unlikely you could get early retirement(occupational) by just having diabetes.I tried a couple of year ago after having a second heart attack and also being insulin dependant,even had my gp support etc but no chance
Eventually ground down and took voluntary early retirment which was what the firm hoped for.

 

[Bluenosesol]

Hey folks,
thanks for the repsonses.
Too be honest I am a (now) fairly active 53 y o who was made redundant June 30 after 23 years of service with no redundancy pay and no notice pay as my company went into administration, so I have a "balanced" view about going for the early retirement route. I have several job applications live. I wouldnt have even thought about the retirement route had it not been for the company pension rep suggesting it.
So I'll follow the process and if nowt comes of it, I'll keep looking for work.

All the best Steve.