Retired early on grounds of ill health.

I retired from local authority in June last year and the Occ Health specialist agreed I met stringent criteria for enhanced pension which means in his view unlikely to be able to work before normal retirement age. I reach that when 66, I'm 58 in 3 months.
I just wondered how much weight this carries when ESA being considered? I've been in receipt of contributions based Support Group for 18 months and just filled in another ESA50. I would hope that an Occ Health physician would be quite the authority in judging my fitness to work?

Thanks Gordon, shows how ridiculous the process is then. It isn't easy to get early retirement and at the level I was granted. This makes a mockery of that process.

This happened to me back in 1999 re Early retirement due to ill health following an accident at work within the LA. The LA did not inform me that you must adhere to the 'purple book' for early retirement with all its benefits and full pension.
After 5 years of fighting I was left with £100 per month, permitted IB/DLA for life from Sec of State as this was in place of a pension from work, however this is no longer valid due to the changes to ESA/PIP.

Please ensure you get full advice from HR and the Union whilst you are still employed by the LA in order to obtain your full entitlements.

Hi pusscatsmum
I am in receipt of ill health pension. My hope was that having been through such a stringent process culminating in an Occ Health Specialist deciding I met criteria for highest award, that DWP would respect this.

I too was retired on the highest tier from the NHS in 2009. I have had two paper reviews, one 2008 and the second 2012, both resulting in support group. I too find it ridiculous that as I am unable to do a sedentary job ,as decided by ATOS, what other work could I do??