Retiring early from Pensionable Service on medical grounds

If you cannot work due to ill-health, you may be able to retire at any age with the consent of the Trustees and the Company. There are two levels of benefits payable, depending upon the severity of your illness.

• Incapacity
  means a physical or mental deterioration which exists at the time employment ends and which, in the opinion of the Trustees (acting on the advice of a medical officer appointed by the Trustees or in reliance upon evidence you produce), is sufficiently serious to prevent you permanently from following normal employment and/or which seriously impairs your earnings capacity.

A pension for incapacity is calculated on the following basis:
Crown Service and 1984 members
This will be calculated as shown here and will be based on your Final Pensionable Pay and Pensionable Service to date of retirement.

BMARC members
This will be calculated as shown here and will be based on your Final Pensionable Pay at date of retirement and your Partially Enhanced Pensionable Service.

• Full medical retirement (Crown Service and 1984 members)
  means retirement from service due to the state of physical and mental health (resulting from an accident or bodily or mental infirmity). Your state of health must exist at the time your employment ends and should, in the opinion of the Trustees (acting on the advice of a medical officer appointed by the Trustees or in reliance upon evidence you produce), permanently prevent you from performing the duties of your employment. Your duties will include any other duties which the Trustees consider it could be reasonable for you to undertake, taking into account your physical and mental health (ignoring for this purpose any shortage of work).
  
  A pension for incapacity is calculated on the following basis:
  Crown Service members
  This will be calculated as shown here and will be based on your Final Pensionable Pay at date of retirement and your Pensionable Service at your Normal Pension Age.
  
  1984 members
  This will be calculated as shown here and will be based on your Final Pensionable Pay at date of retirement and your Partially Enhanced Pensionable Service.

Notes
Partially Enhanced Pensionable Service is your Pensionable Service at date of retirement plus 50% of the period which would have been included in your Pensionable Service if you had remained in service until the Normal Pension Age in force at the date on which you retire.

Full medical retirement is available only to members who have at least 5 years Pensionable Service.

Your Final Pensionable Pay in the calculations above will be restricted to the Scheme Cap if appropriate.

Pension in the above calculations earned on or after 1 April 2006 will be adjusted by the Longevity Adjustment Factor which will vary from time to time and will be calculated at the same time as your pension.

Your ill-health pension may be reduced or suspended until Normal Pension Age if you recover sufficiently to earn an income which, when added to your ill-health pension, is considered by the Trustees to be more than the pay you would be earning if you were still employed by the Company.

Further details of the ill-health early retirement process can be obtained from your local HR or Occupational Health.