The Deputy Pensions Ombudsman has said that a local authority employer cannot rely ‘blindly’ on its medical advisers when deciding if an employee is eligible for an ill-health early retirement pension.
What does this mean?
It is for a local authority employer, not a medical practitioner, to decide whether one of their employees is eligible for an ill-health early retirement pension.
What should employers do?
When deciding whether an employee is eligible for an ill-health early retirement pension a local authority employer should base its decision on all of the appropriate evidence and not just the advice contained in a medical report.
