Applying for ill health pension benefits

To qualify for a Tier 1 ill‑health pension, you must be permanently unable to carry out the responsibilities of your role.

You can get your retirement benefits early, with no reduction to the amount you’ve earned so far.

To qualify for Tier 2, you must meet the Tier 1 criteria and be permanently incapable of carrying out regular employment of similar hours to your NHS job, either whole time or part time, because of illness or injury.

For ill‑health retirement benefits, ‘permanently incapable’ means unable to work until the Scheme’s normal pension age.

The normal pension age is 60 in the 1995 Section, age 65 in the 2008 Section. In the 2015 NHS Pension Scheme the normal pension age is State Pension Age (SPA) or age 65 if this is later.

Members of the 1995 and 2008 Scheme

If you’re eligible for Tier 2 ill health pension benefits and you’re a member of the 1995/2008 Scheme you’ll be entitled to Tier 1 benefits plus two-thirds of your prospective membership up to the Scheme's normal pension age.

Members of the 2015 Scheme

If you’re eligible for Tier 2 ill health pension benefits and you’re a member of the 2015 Scheme, you’ll be entitled to Tier 1 benefits plus one-half of your prospective membership up to the Scheme’s normal pension age.

More information on our 2 tiers is available in the member ill health retirement benefits guide (PDF: 1.73MB)

Before starting your application, read our member ill health retirement benefits guide (PDF: 1.73MB). Our guide includes a summary of the application form that you need to complete.

If you’re actively contributing to your pension or if you have opted out of the Scheme but are still in NHS employment, speak to your employers HR or pension department who will be able to provide an AW33E form for you to complete.

There are 3 sections of the form:

• your employer will complete part A
• you’ll need to complete part B
• your occupational health doctor will complete part C – where this is not possible the report can be completed by your GP or specialist

Make sure all of part B is completed, signed and dated. If your form is not fully completed, it may be returned, and this will delay your application.

If you’re a deferred member and no longer actively contributing to your NHS pension, you’ll need to complete an AW240 to apply. 

More information is available in our member ill health retirement benefits guide (PDF: 1.73MB).

Next steps

Once received, your application will be reviewed by our medical advisors. A team of doctors and advisors qualified in occupational health will provide an independent assessment based on all available medical evidence and make a recommendation to us.

Our medical advisers may ask for more evidence. For example, medical advisers may ask for evidence from your GP or specialist if they think the information provided is not enough or it may be helpful to their assessment. Try to provide as much information as possible to avoid delaying your application.

If you’re terminally ill and your life expectancy is less than 12 months, your benefits will be calculated as Tier 2 ill health pension benefits, and you may take your benefits immediately as a lump sum.

Once we receive your application form, we’ll contact you to provide the details of a member of our team who will support you with your application and arranging the payment of your benefits.

Read our member ill health retirement benefits guide (PDF: 1.73MB) for more information.

Our medical advisers will contact you and your employer to advise you of the outcome of your application.

If you qualify for ill health pension benefits, you must complete the retirement benefits claim form (AW8) to request payment of these benefits. Your employer will be able to provide you with this form to complete.

If you’re a deferred member, you’ll need to complete and submit an AW8P form.

Your ill health pension will be increased each April in line with increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

It may be possible to move between the tiers after retirement if our medical advisors are unable to confirm that you meet the tier 2 conditions when they accept that you have met the tier 1 conditions. Our medical advisors may recommend that your condition should be reassessed within three years. 

We may grant a reassessment if it has not been possible from the outset to tell if your ongoing treatment will assist with your recovery or your ability to complete work in the general field of employment. 

Any reassessment must relate to the ill health conditions that qualified you for tier 1. New conditions will not be considered.

Read our ‘Once you receive your benefits’ section in our member ill health retirement benefits guide (PDF: 1.73MB) for information on what to do if your circumstances change once you have received your benefits.

If you return to NHS employment after retiring early due to ill health, your benefits may be reduced. 

You can find more information in our member ill health retirement benefits guide and on our re-employment webpage.