Frequently asked questions
What is Disability/Ill Health Retirement?
What are the eligibility criteria for ill-health retirement?
- be in pensionable service;
- have completed 5 years actual pensionable service (2 years of actual service if a member of the Single Pension Scheme);
- have suffered the illness while in service.
Teachers with less than 5 years pensionable service, who by reason of ill-health are unable to continue teaching may be awarded a once off Disablement Gratuity.
When should I submit my application?
However, applications can be made at any stage where a teacher is advised by their medical consultant that they are permanently incapacitated for teaching.
What are the procedures for making an application for Ill-health retirement?
The teacher’s medical consultant/s must complete a TMED 1 form on the teacher’s behalf, the consultant returns this form directly to Medmark Doctor, Medmark Occupational Health, 28 Penrose Wharf, Penrose Quay, Cork.
Will I have to submit medical evidence?
The teacher’s medical consultant/s must complete a TMED 1 form on the teacher’s behalf, the consultant returns this form directly to Medmark Doctor, Medmark Occupational Health, 28 Penrose Wharf, Penrose Quay, Cork.
It is also a requirement to attend for a medical assessment with the Occupational Health Service Medmark. Medmark will review the medical information and decide whether or not the teacher is eligible for Ill Health Retirement.
How is the application decided?
Medmark will review the information provided by the teacher’s medical consultant and complete their own medical assessment of the teacher before reaching their decision.
What happens if Medmark refuse my application?
The appeal process will only be based on the medical evidence submitted at the time of your application. No new medical evidence can be submitted.
If your appeal is unsuccessful, you will be given a new date (generally in 12 months time) when you can make a fresh application for Ill Health Retirement should you need to do so.
If successful in my application, what are the calculations for ill-health retirement?
For members of the Old Entrant Pension Scheme and the New Entrant Pension Scheme – this is as follows –
Where retirement on grounds of ill health is approved, additional pensionable credit may be allowed for the purposes of calculating pension and lump sum.
The calculation of lump sum and pension in the case of teachers who retire due to disability is based on actual years of pensionable service, multiplied by ‘retiring salary’; and divided by 80, plus additional pensionable credit where applicable.
The amount of added service allowed varies depending on the length of actual pensionable service given by the teacher and her/his age at retirement.
The following is a summary of the scale of ‘added years’ allowed:
Teachers with between 5 and 10 years service may be credited with an equivalent amount of pensionable service (i.e. double the amount of actual service will be allowed)
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Teachers with between 10 and 20 years service may be credited with the more favourable of (a) the difference between actual service and 20 years or (b) an additional 6 years and 243 days (i.e. 6 and 2/3 years).
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A teacher with more than 20 years’ service may be credited with 6 and 2/3 years of added service.*
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* Teachers retiring on disability will only be granted added years to bring the total length of recognised service up to 40 years or age 60 (whichever is reached first). For example, a teacher at 55 years of age and with 35 years of pensionable service would only be allowed an additional 5 years added.
Please note that any member who retires on Ill-Health Retirement while currently in a Job Sharing arrangement may have their potential “added years” calculated on a pro-rata basis.
For members of the Single Public Service Pension the Single Scheme Guidance Note 01/2017 provides information on how Ill Health Retirement Pension is calculated.
I have salary protection. Who should I discuss this with?
Please contact the Scheme Administrators, Cornmarket.
What should I do with regards to Social Protection PRSI benefits?
A medical certificate submitted to the Department of Social Protection annually will ensure that credited contributions are recorded in the teacher’s name and entitlement to benefit will be maintained. The certificates should be submitted until the last tax year prior to a teacher’s 66th birthday.
Must I give three months’ notice to my Board of Management/ETB?
Can I be employed as a teacher whilst in receipt of a disability/ill health pension?
If I make a recovery, can I return to service?
Should a teacher awarded ill health retirement pension credit return to the service, this credit (additional years of service/enhanced pension) will cease to be part of pensionable service.
Should however, the teacher retire again or die in the service and again be eligible for added years, and should service then reckonable for pension purposes (including the later credit) be less than the service on which the original disability pension had been based, then such earlier service will be computed by reference to the greater period of pensionable service.