klklinc

Hi,
I hope somebody can give me some info on the following:

I served for over 15yrs as a police officer with the GMP before emigrating to Canada in 1997.

I am 51yrs old and sustained a work related shoulder injury in 2006 for which I have twice had major surgery and it now appears that I will be unable to return to my current job.
It has been indicated to me by the WSIB (workers sickness and injury board)that I may have to be placed into the Labour Market Re-entry (LMR) program to be retrained for much lighter work.

My question is this... Would I be entitled to a disability pension from the GMP? Whether currently serving as a police officer or not and regardless of my country of residence?

Thanks.

geordiebloke

Country of residence should not matter.
What might be an issue is your level of disability and what kind of work you can still do?
I take it you are not employed by a Canadian police force, or you have been medically discharged?
Steve.

klklinc

Hi Steve,

Correct, I am not employed by a Canadian police force. I am currently working in the auto sector.
The injury I sustained has left me with permanent restrictions imposed by the WSIB as to what functions I can perform with my right arm/hand, which is my dominant side.
These restrictions consist of, no lifting over 5kg, no reaching above shoulder, no overhead work, no pushing/pulling, no repetitive use and no vibratory tools.

Other than the vibratory tools, I think that the restrictions would seriously affect my ability to work as a police officer.

Another question for you or anyone who may be familiar with how this works. Do I actually need something in writing to say I would be unable to function properly as a police officer? Or would a copy of the WSIB report suffice?

klklinc

Just realised I made a mistake with my original post. The WSIB refers to the workers safety and insurance board NOT workers sickness and injury board. Duh....I was tired...that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

ann m

Hi there - I honestly do not know the answer to your question, despite a major google on your behalf - which you have probably tried anyway

My gut reaction though, would be to think "why would you be entitled to a disability pension from the GMP?" I'm not being funny - I guess my understanding (and my only experience) of a police-related disability pension would relate to someone who was currently serving with the force and who then became disabled in some way (either work-related or not), and then could not longer fulful that role. I am happy to accept if I am way off base here and welcome some more input from anyone else I know of two serving officers who went out on a disability pension - but I do not know of anyone who got one after they left. Not to say that is not possible but I just can't point you in the right direction

I also know someone who was seriously affected by a police-related injury, and despite numerous surgeries, it took his police force (Sussex) a few years to accept and settle his pension issues simply because they had decided taken a hard line on acknowledging disability pensions (because they felt they had be stung by too many "not entirely believable" cases. I am in no way hinting this is you).

If you left GMP 11 years ago, I can't see how they would have the procedures in place to pay out for something that is technically nothing to do with them anymore. Put yourself in the other position - if you were still serving, would you understand it if your pension pot was being used to pay out a disability pension on someone who left 11 years ago and got injured doing something totally unrelated to GMP? And I am assuming the regular pension that you are entitled to remains unchanged and unaffected, regardless of the position you now find yourself in.

Edit - I should add that I would think anyone would have a legitimate claim after leaving, if they could prove that their disability was as a result of something that happened while they were serving - but you have already explained that this is not the case for you, and that you were injured in 2006.

I did have a nice detailed (send-you-to-sleep-type) document on my own force's pension plan small print - but I'm buggered if I can put my hand on it at the moment.

I suspect that, because all pension issues are written in gobbledegook anyway, and are designed to confuse the best of us, I guess the only way really find out the answer to your question is to contact the GMP pension people direct and sound them out.

Good luck with everything - and do report back if you don't mind

klklinc

ann m
Appreciate your post and thought's on this issue. The reason I asked the question is to get some sort of clarification from someone who may have experienced this or know someone who has.

I have documentation regarding my police pension which states the following;

Earliest date when benefits can be paid - Age 60
"The deferred benefits may be paid earlier if the scheme member is certified as being permanently incapable of carrying out the duties of a police officer (even though possibly not a police officer at the time of certification)."

Do you think above statement could apply to my situation?

geordiebloke

Hello again,

Can't see any reason why this will not apply to your situation.
As you'll know, when you leave the UK police, whatever the the value of the pension is frozen. This, from what I've read, would also apply to the ill health pension value. Not sure if it would be index linked like the pension itself, but I don't see why it wouldn't.
As for how you would actually claim it, I haven't a clue, sorry.
Might be worth giving your old Fed office a ring and see what they say.
Steve

klklinc

Thanks for the replies, I will make some enquiries with GMP pension office etc and let you all know how this turns out.