people on occupational pensions

I am on an occupational pension of £400.00 a month, as I was medically retired in 2006.

I have a number of questions

1) I am on incpapcity benefit and DLA, and due to these harsher rules, am expecting to be kicked off these benefits eventually, and put on JSA.
I dont know if I am being overly pessimistic, but I fear that due to my pension, I will not actually get any JSA money, if found fit for work, is this true?

2) If I am found fit for work and get no JSA, does this mean that I will have no opportunity to be helped to find a job by the DWP

3)Will I be expected to pay for my mortgage, bills, and food, all out of my £400 a month. My mortgage is over £300, or will I get some assistance in paying that.

thank you

Hi Christine,
I managed to get a Nhs pension last November that was backdated 2 years from when I first applied - it took 3 tries!
I am also on Ib, and wrote to them informing them straight away I had been awarded an occupational pension.
Although I receive a lot less than you do, my Ib is not affected.
Did you contact them and explain the situation?

Good luck with the outcome.
x

Hi Christine.

I too recieve an Occ(deferred medical retirement) pension.

I have been on IB for the last 13 years, and I receive DLA LRC.

I believe that you might be in a similar situation to myself. If I lost IB, because I have an occ pension I probably would not be entitled to JSA. We may well do initially for a limited time, but I would say more likely not.

Also, in my situation, my husband though on ESA since last July because waiting on surgery, would be expected to support me financially.

So the reality of the situation is, you work, pay NI contributions/Tax and into private pension scheme. Loss your Job and the security that that brings, qualify for IB because you have paid your contributions and still pay tax out of your occupational pension.Pay for your own prescriptions, dental, glasses, full mortgage, full rates/council tax.

Then taking the way things are going at the minute,you loose your entitlement to IB, because some doopy computer is programmed to tell you that you are fit for gainful employment when your not, you end up losing any entitlement that you have paid into out of your own earnings all the years you have worked.

sickening,

Kathy x

I am very suspicious about the DWPs attitude to people on Occ pensions. I wonder if they have a hidden agenda about it. It would certainly be a great efficiency saving if they could deny us IB or ESA because we have a medical retirement.

Yep, LC,

With you on that one. Wonder what their opinion would be and how they would feel about a system that lets us down, if they are ever in our position.

Kathy