Voluntary Versus Ill Health Retirement..

[Thunderthighs]

Hi, I need some help and advice. If you are long-term ill, and considering leaving RM, I believe there are 2 Ways to do this,
A. Ill Health Retirement or
B.Voluntary Early Retirement. I have emailed RM Pensions about this subject, but they have not replied.
Reading between the lines, plus what I have read on here, the only DIFFERENCE between these two seems to be related to your Pension. Am I correct?

One thing I read on here is quite "disturbing", in that ATOS take 9 months to agree to Ill Health Retirement, which means..3 Months Full pay, 3 months 1/2 pay and obviously 3 months no pay. This seems that they keep you dangling on a string, but you "loose" 3 months pay because they CAN do it to you.
So, if this is unacceptable to someone, then surely the Early Voluntary Retirement system is the way to go, regardless of long-term illness etc?

I am being contacted by ATOS Drs next week, and have been off with a Post Viral Infection/Severe Fatigue for a few months.The medical investigations are ongoing, and there is currently no "cure" or improvement on the horizon at the moment. so more test are being undertaken to determine an exact reason for it.
It seems to me, that, rather than ATOS determine OVER 9 MONTHS that I am not fit/able to work, even with an adapted schedule, then...going down the Early route is better, even though some Pension benefits might be lost.

If anyone can supply some real, hard data, or experiential learning/knowledge they have gained in this matter, please PM me or reply on here.
Currently, everyone I speak to/listen to, have differing information which contradicts others opinions etc.
I am undecided as what to do, but am at this moment am totally unable to do a 5-6 hr delivery, or even office work, due to the symptoms I am undergoing.
I would'nt want this illness passed onto my worst enemy, and even previously dismissed M.E. or similar sickness as real, but, it's not until it hits you that you realise it is.

Thanks for any advice, information or assistance you can offer to me and my Family.

[motherhubbard]

IHR is approx 34 weeks pay plus Pay In Lieu Of Notice (PILON) regardless of length of service
EVR is dependant on you length of service - max 104 weeks pay

I don't know where you got the 9 months thing from. That isn't correct.

If you are offered VR the office has to agree the loss of those hours.
You couldn't just choose it over IHR.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

The other consideration is whether a VR is actually being offered in your office. Just because you may want a VR instead of a ihr doesn't mean that your office is currently reducing their head count so that option may not be open to you and also if it was there may be other members of staff looking for a VR at same time and they might get it instead of you

[RobertT]

The way I understand it is:

IHR with lump sum is 34 weeks pay plus a max of 12 weeks PILON depending on service.

EVR is only available to the over 55’s and will consist of an enhanced pension and a 26 weeks pay out if you’re still a member of any RM pension scheme or a max of 104 weeks if not.

VR is potentially available at any age with a max pay out of 104 weeks pay.

As others have said, VR or EVR will only be available if your office wants to lose hours and if my office is anything to go by, RM will want to go down the IHR route first because it’s cheaper for them.

Plus don’t you get 6 months on full pay then another 6 months on half pay?

[Glenno]

There are 2 processes in IHR, one with Pension and without, link: http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 36&t=36293" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The VR process comes under the MTSF and as already stated could reward you with a max 104 weeks, depending on your circumstances
IHR = approx £20,000
VR could reward you with approx £40-£45,000
guess which one Atos will recommend, actually it is the only one they can recommend, if you disagree with their recomendation you can always appeal, read the IHR link and then you will be more up to speed, also the MTSF under VR's

[Glenno]

Forgot to add link to the MTSF http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 36&t=33667" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Thunderthighs]

Ok, thanks all. not very clear in terms of what my choices are in so much that...Our office was asking workers around Xmas, if they wanted to reduce their hours and/or take early redundancy, BUT...I wasn't offered this at all, and only saw the documentation by chance.

It seems that, Financially, I would be better off taking the Early Rendundancy route, but as pointed out, this would be the costlier route to RM so...obviously WONT be offered to me I think.
Therefore, the Ill Health Retirement route seems much more logical, and would be the cheapest option for RM, which I assume they will take.
I just hope that my health will - someday - improve and that I can get on with my Life, with or without RM.
Currently, my Life is in Limbo, with little option but to be a guineapig for the medical staff and hopefully for them to find an answer/solution or key to what is causing the illness/sickness.
RM will have to conclude that I can no longer be available to them in my current or adapted capacity, and that my leaving will be the best option for all concerned.

[pod25]

For you to get IHR, your case has to be referred to Occupational Health Services. Once all the relevant paper work has been completed by both your DOM and area Health and Safety Rep, the case will be reviewed.
You also need to be interviewed by both DOM and area HS Rep to take you through the entire process.

I can't fully remember what payment you will receive, but it is dependent on whether you are claiming your RM pension.
The lump sum is tax free, any holiday pay due will be taxed, you can also sell your shares tax free.

I can't remember ATOS ever being involved !!

The whole process is over and done with fairly quickly (weeks, not months)

[westham000]

If you are over 55 and you take EVR and you are not in receipt of a Royal Mail pension. How many weeks, months, years do they enhance your pension by? Does anybody know?

[baldrick]

If you are over 55 and you take EVR and you are not in receipt of a Royal Mail pension. How many weeks, months, years do they enhance your pension by? Does anybody know?

It's in the MTSF2 agreement which is in the downloads section, it says that pension would be enhanced by 37.5% of remaining reckonable years to 65.
I think that means 37.5%, ie 3 years and 9 months, on the NRA65 part of your pension (55-65).

I don't know how much extra that would mean on your pension though, but I think at 55 it would be about £500pa, plus £1,500 on your pension lump sum if you are in Section A/B of the pension scheme.