TfL Pension Fund

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Ill-health retirement

If you can't work because of mental or physical incapacity you may be entitled to ill-health benefits.

What you receive depends on whether you are a contributing member or have a deferred pension.

Ill-health retirement for contributing members
Ill-health retirement for deferred pensioners
Organ donation
Avoiding overpayment

The benefits available on ill-health are being reviewed by the Trustees.

Ill-health retirement for contributing members

Receiving your pension due to ill-health depends on the Trustees' approval, so you must provide us with satisfactory medical evidence that you cannot do your job because of mental or physical incapacity.

The Trustees may require regular evidence of continued incapacity and of earnings received from any employment.

The pension is payable while your incapacity continues. The Trustees have the authority to reduce or stop payment of your pension if they believe you:

Become 100 per cent fit to earn an income, whether or not in paid employment
Are doing the same job that you held at the time of your medical retirement
Are not fully fit but are in paid employment
Have not supplied satisfactory evidence of continued incapacity

The benefit is based on your pensionable service and pensionable salary as follows:

Pensionable service less than two years

You will not receive a pension but you can receive a lump sum of a quarter of your pensionable salary.

If you are working part-time when you retire, the lump sum will be calculated using pro-rated pensionable salary.

Pensionable service between two and five years

You will receive a pension, calculated as 1/60 x pensionable service x pensionable salary.

Pensionable service more than five years

You will receive a pension, and your pensionable service will be increased by up to 10 years. Your annual pension is calculated as 1/60 x pensionable service x pensionable salary.

For Existing Members there is a deduction of £10.10 a year for pensionable service from 1 October 1993.

You can exchange part of your pension for a lump sum, but not the part relating to the enhanced pensionable service. If you receive an ill-health pension you can not get a variable pension.

Ill-health retirement for deferred pensioners

Should you be unable to work because of ill-health you may be able to take your pension whatever your age.

Receiving your pension due to ill-health depends on the Trustees' approval, so you must provide us with satisfactory medical evidence that you can not earn an income. The Trustees may require regular evidence of continued incapacity and of earnings received from any employment.

The pension is payable while your incapacity continues.

The Trustees have the authority to reduce or stop payment of your pension if they believe you have:

Become able to earn an income (even if you are not fully fit)
Recovered
Not supplied satisfactory evidence of continued incapacity

Organ donation

The Trustees would be willing to consider making a ruling in advance of donating an organ regarding your eligibility for an ill-health pension. In cases of emergency organ donation you can apply for a ruling after the organ donation.

If you do not ask for this ruling and some time later apply for an ill-health pension, then the Trustees would make a decision in the normal way when you leave service.

Avoiding overpayment

You must keep the Fund Office informed of your personal circumstances to avoid any overpayment of pension being made, which would have to be repaid.