Disability/Ill-Health Retirement

Disability/Ill health retirement is a provision where a teacher develops a medical condition and becomes permanently incapacitated (due to disability of body, mind or both) from carrying on work as a teacher, to retire from teaching with a disability pension and lumpsum. The award of pension and lumpsum under disability/ill health retirement is subject to certain criteria.

To be eligible for disability/ ill health retirement a  teacher must:

• 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.

Applications for retirement on grounds of disability should be submitted to the Department a number of weeks before paid sick leave expires, during paid sick leave a teacher is continuing to make contributions to their pension scheme which will increase their overall pension.

However, applications can be made at any stage where a teacher is advised by their medical consultant that they are permanently incapacitated for teaching.

Applications for early retirement on grounds of disability/ill-health are made using a RETD1 form. The teacher must complete and return this form to the  Primary Teachers’ Pensions Section of the Department of Education.

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.

Yes. As part of the process, applicants will have to submit medical evidence (medical reports) in support of the application to show that the teacher is permanently incapacitated (due to disability of body, mind or both) from continuing to work.

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.

The decision whether to award disability/ill-health retirement is based on the recommendation of the Occupational Health Service, Medmark.

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.

You can appeal the decision. This must be done within 30 days of the notification that your application was unsuccessful.

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.

There are separate methods of calculation of ill health retirement benefits depending on the teacher’s pension scheme.

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)

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).

A teacher with more than 20 years’ service may be credited with 6 and 2/3 years of added service.*

 

* 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.

Salary Protection scheme members should be aware of the benefits under the INTO Salary Protection Scheme for those contemplating an application for Disability/Ill-Health retirement. Teachers who are retiring on grounds of disability should also make application to Cornmarket Group Financial Services approximately eight weeks before paid sick leave expires.

Please contact the Scheme Administrators, Cornmarket.

Teachers who retire on disability are advised to maintain their PRSI cover for Social Protection benefits: (i.e. Widow/Widower’s Contributory Pension, Orphan’s Contributory Allowance, Occupational Injuries Benefit, Bereavement Grant, Carer’s Benefit and Lone Parent’s Benefit).

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.

Teachers retiring on disability are not, under the circumstances, required to give three months’ notice to their Management Board.

No. Teachers in receipt of a disability pension may not be employed in any capacity in a national school.

A teacher who had retired on the grounds of Ill Health Retirement, could only return to service if they have been found medically fit to teach by the Occupational Health Service, Medmark.

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.

Disability pensions to teachers under 50 years of age may be reviewed at intervals of 2/3 years. Teachers may resume service if certified medically fit to resume teaching by the Occupational Health Service provider, Medmark.

Further information can be found in Chapter 4 of the Employers Procedures Manual – Occupational Health Service for Teachers in DE Circular 0013/2024 Sick Leave Scheme for Registered Teachers Employed in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools.

Yes. Members are welcome to discuss their case with their Benefit Funds Committee Representative, CEC Representative or with staff in INTO Head Office.