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Local authorities
are bracing themselves for an increase in complaints from those
who are facing delays in receiving ill-health pensions, says law
firm Pinsent Masons.
According to a survey carried out by the firm in April 2008, 68
per cent of the claims currently dealt with internally by local
authority schemes relate to ill-health retirements, and this figure
is higher for complaints made to the Pensions Ombudsman at 71 per
cent.
The recent statement by the Association of Local Authority Medical
Advisers (ALAMA) that its members are being asked to make decisions
on non-medical issues and the new tiered nature of the LGPS ill-health
retirement provisions are even now leading to delays, and Pinsent
Masons says these will raise further grounds for disagreement between
LGPS members and their employers about whether a member qualifies
for ill-health retirement.
John Hanratty, head of public sector pensions at Pinsent Masons,
said: “As the disagreement between the ALAMA and the DCLG
continues, local authorities will surely see a big increase in these
complaints and, even when that situation is resolved, there is the
tiered nature of the ill-health retirement benefits under LGPS which
in itself will give rise to an increase in reasons for complaint.
I would not be surprised to see the survey figures increase markedly
in the future.”
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Pensions Age July 2008
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