What will I get?

What you get depends on how long you’re likely to be unable to work in  gainful employment after you leave. Your employer decides which tier based on the advice from the independent doctor.

Tier 1

You qualify for tier 1 if you’re unlikely to be capable of gainful employment before your normal pension age (NPA). The ill health benefits you’d get are:

• the pension you’ve already built up on the date you left
• no reduction for early payment
• plus, the estimated pension you would have built up in the LGPS from the date you left to your NPA.

A tier 1 pension is paid for the rest of your life. The increase to your pension under tier 1 is based on your assumed pensionable pay.

Tier 2

You qualify for tier 2 if you’re:

• unlikely to be capable of gainful employment within three years of leaving, but
• likely to be capable of gainful employment before your normal pension age (NPA).

The ill health benefits you’d get are:

• the pension you’ve already built up on the date you left
• no reduction for early payment
• plus 25% of the estimated pension you would have built up in the LGPS from the date you left to your NPA.

A tier 2 pension is paid for the rest of your life. The increase to your pension under tier 2 is based on your assumed pensionable pay.

Tier 3

You qualify for tier 3 if:

• you’re likely to be capable of gainful employment within three years of the date you left or
• before your normal pension age (NPA) if this is earlier.

You’d get the pension you’ve built up on the date you left. It wouldn’t be reduced for early payment. Your tier 3 pension will stop being paid when the first of any of these events happen:

• your tier 3 pension has been paid for three years
• you start gainful employment
• you become capable of gainful employment.

Tier 3 review

After you’ve had your tier 3 ill health pension for 18 months, your employer will conduct a review. An independent doctor chosen by your employer, and approved by the Pension Fund will decide if your tier 3 pension should:

• stop
• continue for another 18 months up to 3 years
• be uplifted to a tier 2 ill health pension from the date your employer made the decision.

If you reach your NPA while your tier 3 pension is being paid to you, it won’t stop.

If you have not reached your NPA your last employer must decide whether you’re capable of gainful employment before the end of the 3 years

After your tier 3 pension ends, it will normally become payable again from your NPA. You may take it earlier. We’ll give you information about your options when your tier 3 pension ends.