What if I have to retire on grounds of ill health?

You are not entitled to immediate payment of ill health pension benefits if your ill-health retirement occurs after 31 March 2014 and you do not meet the 2 years vesting period.

You will, instead, be entitled to a refund of your contributions, a deferred benefit, or you can transfer your benefits to another pension scheme.

If you were paying into the LGPS on 31 March 2008, and were aged 45 or over on that date and have been in continuous membership of the LGPS, then if you qualify for an ill-health pension where your benefits are based on enhanced membership there is protection to ensure your ill health retirement benefits are no less than they would have been under the scheme as it applied before 1 April 2008.

This protection would not apply if you have previously drawn benefits on taking flexible retirement.