General Chat

Well that is it folks. I am now officially retired However not by choice. because for various reasons, I cannot wear a facemask, my employers could not redeploy me anywhere else within the company where i didnt need to wear one.
But then they changed the rules and said every member of the company must wear a mask when on their premises at all times.

So they offered me Early Retirement on the grounds of efficiency. No payout as my job hasnt been done away with just 2 weeks wages and a little holiday pay I was owed.

Of course my company pension has now been triggered but at a reduced amount of £190.00 per month.

At 59 I feel far too young not to be working anymore.

But if this means people wont be allowed into certain places even though they are medically except and also not being allowed to travel without a vaccine passport, its rather discriminating.

I cannot have the jags either, so am i going to be prevented from flying south to visit family or maybe go abroad for a holiday in the near future?

I have been in shielding since Sep 2019 because of my health and actually feel I may as well be shielding for ever now if Im not allowed to travel away from here.

Is there anyone else on here in my position and how do you feel about the situation re masks etc?
I truly understand the importance of preventing the spread of the virus but I just feel Im being discriminated against unfairly.

And just to top it all, no leaving do, no presentation of leaving gifts. Infact nothing at all after 13 years service!

Florence in the hebrides

Florence ..............

I'm so sorry to hear this.

I took early retirement at 60, but it was MY choice, and I have never regretted it. It must be awful to be forced into it.

All I can say is that over here, people who cannot wear masks for medical reasons cannot be prevented from entering buildings, from riding on transit, or any thing else.

Ask your doctor if there is any kind of medical letter/certificate that you can carry.

There is no doubt that people will question you, or comment, or tell you to wear your mask. But people here are going around without masks, although shielding as much as possible.

Who knows about travel into "another" country though ......... we're not supposed to travel even out of our own health regions for anything but "essential travel, and visiting parents or family isn't necessarily seen as essential . :-(

I do hope that things work out for you xxxxx

Sorry to hear this Florence but I didn't know the rules had been changed, is it only in Scotland. Do you have a solicitor, it sounds like discrimination to me, is your 'early retirement' on medical grounds? There must be rules covering this and it seems hard that there is no extra pay involved. Were you given enough notice I wonder. Seems odd to me but then I don't know the law governing it in Scotland.

Sorry to read this Florence think you need some advise it sounds very harsh your treatment I had to retire early had a bad fall at work worked as carer in the community I was 59 .but the council paid me half wages for three months then just before i was sixty got some private pension not a lot still get it now .you will be alright as you can concentrate on your good well being .it's a shock early retirement but Take it easy you might get to see family later in the year way things are going with jabs & Covid numbers coming down Good luck Barbara

If I remember properly you knew this was coming and had taken advice.

What is really tough is that you can’t have the jab. Doesn’t Scotland use the Sunflower badges/cards to show you are exempt from at least masks?

If COVID passports come in then you will need a formal letter to show your situation.

How is the house hunting going - your next big problem.

'Early retirement due to efficiency' sounds more like redundancy to me.
Were you offered redundancy?

Can you wear a plastic face shield rather than a mask? I know some people can’t.

When the border opens for non-essential travel (holidays) on 21/4, I think you will be able to fly within the UK with a letter from your doctor about not wearing a mask, and whether or not you've been vaccinated shouldn't enter into it.

I would certainly get your situation checked out it can't hurt can it? Is there citizen advice or similar near you?
As for the plastic shield they really do nothing on their own.

I was in touch with my Union, but as my job isnt being done away with, I cannot get redundancy. You can only be made redundant if your job is being done away with. I was on full pay for 6 months, then 1/2 pay for 6 months then zero. I asked for any holiday pay due so got that afterwards.
I have been given 3 months notice with pay so i guess thats my severance pay.

i do have an exemption badge from the NHS which i wear in town in shops etc.people still look at you though but I now just ignore it. I cant help the way i am.

in my mind, i guess it hasnt really sunk in yet as have been on sick leave for some time and it feels like Im still on sick leave until April when no monies will be paid after that.
It was a year ago today i had my heart op!! Oh where has the time gone to?
Im waiting on word re a rented house and hope to hear about it next week.Once i get my Decri Nici...due anyday and i move, i should be able to claim some benefit from housing and Universal Credit as up til now because i owned half the marital home, i wasnt entitled to anything. If you own half a house, its counted as savings of 16k or more!!

i think i probably feel so down as hadnt planned to retire so early and it came as quite a shock. Most people have time to plan their retirement but i didnt.

As for travelling south maybe later in the year, will have to wait & see what the rukes are.But i totally disagree with a "vaccine passport" to go into pubs, cafes etc...that truly will be discriminating for many, many people.

Florence in the hebrides

I have no idea whether sick pay is more than dole but, Florence, just a thought - can't you stay on the sick?

Although I expect it depends on whether your doctor 'signs you off' or not.

Also, what did your union say about discrimination law?

If Florence was fit enough she would be able to get a little job to supplement her pension. If she was receiving sick pay she would not be able to do any work.

I guess Florence you were with either local government or civil service or similar as I know you were in a school. Therefore, as she has had six months off on full sick pay and six months on half pay ( more than a lot of private firms I think) she is not able to stay on the sick as she has exhausted all the sick pay due. when I worked for the C Service that would have been medical retirement and there would have been an officer available to give advice on what to do next. Have you had any advice at all or help with pension claining etc florence.

My retirement has triggered my work pension. i completed the forms etc and that will start 1st may. There is no choice to defer payment and make private contributions, not that i could afford that anyway.

Once i am in a position to claim benefits, i will be talking to an advisor and will see. But im not on sick leave just unemployed (retired)now so it will either be ESA or UC.Probably sometime this month. My final pay with any holiday monies will be paid on the 15th April so will be after that, i can see whats what.

Florence in the hebrides