Complaints against officers

[Bailey99 3]

Hi.

I have 18 years service, joined 1998 & have been on a career break since 2016 so completely out of it procedure wise.

Had neck problems for years & over the last few years losing strength in arms/hands.

I've recently had surgery on my neck with c5 c6 fusion. 

Following surgery I can't see myself back on reactive duty but not sure where to go from here?

Would I be considered for ill health retirement? Do I have to request ill health retirement ? Surely this will be a better option  than to resign ?

I'm on the 1987 pension but wasn't old enough to be tapered so wouldn't have access to my pension until I'm 60. (I'm 42) 

Due to career break I'm not paying into the FED and I don't know who to turn to?

 

Thanks.

Bailey99 

[Bradders2175 16]

Hi Bailey,

You might have had a reply by now. I went out on a disability following an accident on duty. I was in work on part time light duties, but was concerned about my future. No one would tell me what would happen long term. They just said my 'job was safe'. I didn't believe them. It was suggested by Admin that I apply for an upcoming job. I told them it had already gone to a PS who was retiring and was going to do it as a civilian. They were astounded! They said it couldn't be the case as it hadn't even been advertised! It was true and did happen. I was concerned that I was going to be manoeuvred into a post dealing with statistics, which I would have hated being a front line Officer.

I wrote a letter and sent it to my GP, the Force Medical Officer and to Welfare outlining my injuries and long term concerns. I was given an appointment with the FMO within two weeks. At that examination, he said 'With your injury, I'll never sign you back to do full time front line Policing. I can try to find you some sort of office job, or you can be cast from the Force'. I told him that I had been doing 'some sort of office job for the previous five months and was depressed that I couldn't do the job that I had been doing'. He said that he would retire me, which was more than a surprise as I had two friends, one with MS and another with mental health issues from an incident that he had attended. Both of whom were far less able than I, but I was going first! I was retired in two months. This was a great surprise. I still thought that I had more to offer. I thought a role in Training (I was a Defensive Skills Instructor) or something would have been found. But no. So I was retired two weeks before my 42nd birthday.

So, in my opinion, ask first. Don't suggest retirement as I'm sure they won't want to pay you an ill health pension if they can get away with it. I had grief from them calling me back for a review of my situation after two years. I had to complete a questionnaire to be returned at least two weeks before my review. I completed it honestly and told them I felt my condition had become worse. I saw the same FMO that had cast me. I could see from the papers on his desk (reading them upside down!) that my disability was to be downgraded a few percentage points. This without even being examined. I didn't say anything, but was furious. My friend with the mental health issues had since been cast and was later reviewed, but had a worse time than I, in that his concern about the review made his situation worse.

Fast forward two years to my next review. The same forms were sent to me. I completed them, but didn't post them. I had several telephone calls reminding me to send them and I made various excuses, eventually saying that I would bring the forms with me. I attended the review and handed them the forms as well as a letter stating that I had no confidence in their review as they had downgraded my disability without an examination and it seemed like a cost cutting exercise. I could hear a small commotion in the adjoining office while they were discussing my letter. Some time later one of the staff came in with a letter stating that my next review would be in five years time. That was in 2004. The next review should have been 2009. They have never asked me to attend another.

Prior to this I had some grief from one of the Review Board, an ex Inspector, now a civilian. He told me that if I earned too much, my pension would be reduced accordingly. I angrily told him that my pension was more than £6000 less than my regular annual salary and I still had a mortgage. He went on to say that I might have to consider claiming benefits as my injury pension might be withdrawn. I was furious. I said that had I not been cast and retired after completing my service, they would have to pay my pension if I lived to be 100. If they were considering stopping my pension after an accident on duty and they had cast me, I"d see them in Court. 

I might be wrong, but don't think anyone there will be looking out for you. Especially after a career break.

Good luck.

[Bailey99 3]

Thanks for that, I've been back since April on recoup, I haven't been given a role... just picking up admin tasks here & there which is sole destroying.

I'll write to my GP & see if I can get an FMO appointment. 

 

Thanks again.