What if I cannot work due to illness?
If you are unable to work due to illness, you may apply to retire with an ill-health pension. To qualify for an ill-health pension you must have been a Member for at least five years.
There are two levels of ill-health pension:
Partial ill-health pension
- Your medical condition prevents you from doing your normal job, now and in the future.
- The pension payable will be the pension you have already built up in PACE at the date of your retirement.
Total ill-health pension
- Your medical condition means you are permanently unable to do any paid work for any employer.
- The pension payable will be equal to the pension you have already built up in PACE at the date of your retirement, plus an additional pension based on your Revalued Pensionable Earnings and the remaining period from the date of your retirement to your Normal Pension Age.
Your Employer and the Trustees will consider the medical evidence and decide whether you meet the conditions for an ill-health pension and the level of pension that may apply. If you do, the Trustees will decide which level of pension is payable. Then, subject to the agreement of your Employer, the Trustees may pay you an ill-health pension.
If you are a Former Scheme Member, the five-year membership period requirement for a total ill-health pension will not apply. Your ill-health pension will include your Former Scheme pension.
The Trustees review ill-health pensions in payment before Normal Pension Age. Your ill-health pension may be suspended or reduced if any one or more of the following apply:
- You were awarded a pension for a condition which is found to be a result of your own conduct.
- You were awarded a pension for a medical condition that you knew about and did not disclose when you joined PACE.
- You were awarded an ill-health pension and your health improves.
- You refuse to provide the Trustee with satisfactory evidence of continued ill health, details of any earnings or other relevant information, when requested.
If you require further information, please contact the Group Pensions team.
