Capability, redeployment and ill-health retirement are connected but separate routes. Capability asks whether employment can continue in the role. Redeployment looks for suitable alternative work. Ill-health retirement is a pension decision under scheme criteria and medical assessment.
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Do not treat the routes as interchangeable
A person can be medically unable to continue in one role yet capable of other work. A department may consider redeployment before dismissal. Ill-health retirement has its own qualifying service and medical criteria, and an OH suggestion to consider it does not decide eligibility.
Check which scheme and policy apply
Civil Service pension arrangements differ by scheme. Members of classic, classic plus, premium, nuvos, partnership and alpha generally need at least two years of qualifying service. The medical test then depends on the scheme. In alpha, and in the two-tier classic plus, premium and nuvos arrangements, lower tier requires a permanent breakdown in health that prevents the member from doing their own job or a comparable job. Upper tier requires permanent incapacity for the member’s own job and any other gainful employment. Classic uses a different single-tier test, while partnership uses a test similar to the lower-tier criteria. Obtain the current member guide and case-specific pension information.
Members can unlock: a route-comparison framework, capability defence checklist, redeployment search plan, ill-health retirement evidence map, questions for HR and pension administrators, and wording for keeping the routes accurate and properly sequenced.
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