Retirement on ill-health grounds (FOI)

Request

A

Which person, or body, is responsible for making the ultimate decision regarding permanent ill-health retirement for a school-teacher in Jersey?

B

What specific medical conditions satisfy the criteria in order for a school teacher to receive permanent ill-health retirement in Jersey?

Response

A

The Committee of Management gives authority to a named individual who acts on behalf of the employer, the States Employment Board (SEB). The power to medically retire someone is delegated from the SEB to the HR Director who is advised by the Head of Wellbeing.

B

Retirement on ill-health grounds involves the cessation of employment of those who, as a result of permanent ill-health or disability of mind or body are, to the satisfaction of the employer, incapable of discharging efficiently their duties.

If the occupational health doctor (after considering all relevant information from the scheme member’s treating specialist / GP) considers that ill health is unlikely to improve adequately for a return to the individual’s normal role and is serious enough to justify ill-health retirement, a recommendation will be made to the employer and the Chief Operating Office.

There are no specific medical conditions which determine the criteria for ill-health retirement, as a number of factors are taken into consideration and these will vary from case to case. The test for ill health retirement is that the member of the pension scheme as a result of ill health, or mental or physical impairment is permanently incapable of performing the duties of the Scheme employment in which he or she is engaged. A member who meets this condition is eligible to receive either the standard level of his or her pension if his or her employer is satisfied that the member is likely to be able to engage in any other employment before he or she attains normal retirement age; or, the enhanced level if the employer is satisfied that the member is unlikely to be able to engage in any employment before he or she attains normal pension age.