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WBC Early Pensions as a result of poor mental health

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Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,

I am writing to you with regards to former employee pension funds. Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to know the following information, please:

1 - Between 2015 and 2019, how many employees had to take their pensions early, and incur and penalty as a result of this? Please break it down in terms of year.
2 - Of that number, how many employees had to take their pension early as a result of poor mental health?
3 - Of that number, how many people were given a right to appeal?
4 - How many people did the WBC support through the appeals process?
5 - How many people, who were suffering mental ill health, were offered reasonable alternatives in place of taking an early retirement?
6 - How many of those cases followed LGPS regulations?

Thank you for your assistance in this manner.

Yours faithfully,

April Lloyd

InfoMgr, FinDMT, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear Sir Madam

Thank you for your recent request made under the Freedom of Information Act, which has been received by Wirral Borough Council. Wirral Council can confirm that your request has now been received by the FOI team.

Your enquiry was passed to the relevant Council department(s), and we will aim to issue a substantive response within 20 working days and we thank you for your patience in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Chelsea Dalton
Information Management Officer
Wirral Council
Treasury Building
Cleveland Street
Birkenhead
CH41 1AH
Tel: 0151 666 5201
[Wirral Borough Council request email]
visit our website: www.wirral.gov.uk

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Dalton, Chelsea, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear Ms Lloyd,

 

Thank you for your recent request for information. Please our response
below:

 

1 - Between 2015 and 2019, how many employees had to take their pensions
early, and incur and penalty as a result of  this?  Please break it down
in terms of year.

IF somebody leaves employment before State Pension Age they are never
forced to take their pension early and incur any reductions. If they
resign they have the option of leaving the pension deferred or frozen
until they wish to take it. Any reductions they incur are their choice. If
they are made redundant or retire on ill health grounds there are no
reductions on their benefits.

 

2 - Of that number, how many employees had to take their pension early as
a result of poor mental health?

As stated above, if someone leaves before state pension age they are never
forced to take their pension early and incur any reductions.

 

3 -  Of that number, how many people were given a right to appeal?

As point 2, but if someone leaves due to ill health or redundancy they
have the right to appeal.

 

4 - How many people did the WBC support through the appeals process?

As point 2 & 3 above, but WBC would support any employee or ex-employee
through an appeals process.

 

5 - How many people, who were suffering mental ill health, were offered
reasonable alternatives in place of taking an early retirement?

As points 2 & 3 above

 

6 - How many of those cases followed LGPS regulations?

All cases will have followed the LGPS regulations. We wouldn't be able to
put benefits into payment otherwise.

 

We trust this satisfies your request.

 

You have the right under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000
to ask for an internal review of the refusal of the information
requested.  Please direct any request for an internal review to
[Wirral Borough Council request email] and your request will be allocated for
review.

 

You do also have the right to complain to the information Commissioner, if
you are dissatisfied with the outcome of any internal review:
https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

Chelsea Dalton

Information Management Officer

Wirral Council

Treasury Building

Cleveland Street

Birkenhead

CH41 1AH

Tel: 0151 666 5201

[1][Wirral Borough Council request email]

visit our website: [2]www.wirral.gov.uk

 

PLEASE FORWARD ALL FOI RESPONSES TO [3][Wirral Borough Council request email]

 

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]
2. http://www.wirral.gov.uk/
3. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]

Dear Dalton, Chelsea,

Thank you for your response - I appreciate your time and effort in doing so. However, I notice you have not answered any of my questions, and you have not released the data you hold. This means this request is incomplete.

Is there a specific legal reason as to why you are withholding this information? Would the release of data potentially identify individuals, for instance?

Thank you for your help in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

April Lloyd

Dalton, Chelsea, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Dear Ms Lloyd,

Thank you for your return. We have treated this as a request for an internal review due to your dissatisfaction of the handling of your initial request, by the information management team.

Your request has been passed to the relevant council department(s) however please be advised that due to the unprecedented current pressures on the Council’s resources and workforce, due to COVID-19 implications; there may unavoidable delays with responding to your request as we would of usually anticipated.

While your statutory right of access remains unchanged, our resources may be diverted away from usual compliance or information rights work at this time.

The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) is aware that people may experience understandable delays when making FOIs, EIRs or SARs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We therefore ask for your continued patience and understanding in relation to your enquiry.

Yours sincerely,

Chelsea Dalton
Information Management Officer
Wirral Council
Treasury Building
Cleveland Street
Birkenhead
CH41 1AH
Tel: 0151 666 5201
[Wirral Borough Council request email]
visit our website: www.wirral.gov.uk

PLEASE FORWARD ALL FOI RESPONSES TO [Wirral Borough Council request email]

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InfoMgr, FinDMT, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Lloyd

 

We write further to your email of 8 April 2020 in which you expressed
dissatisfaction with the Council’s response to your FOI enquiry.  The
correspondence has been passed to me to conduct an internal review of the
Council’s handling of your request.

 

You have stated that we did not answer your questions and did not release
data held . You also asked “Is there a specific legal reason as to why you
are withholding this information?  Would the release of data potentially
identify individuals, for instance?  “

 

I have taken advice from our HR team and reviewed the correspondence
exchanged to date.  I am of the opinion that the Council has responded to
your request as far as it is able to do. 

 

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides a right of access to recorded
information held by public authorities.  There is no obligation to create
data that is not held.  In this case, it was not possible to provide a
figure in response to  your Q1, as no employees had to take their pension
early or incur a penalty because of this.  Similarly, we had no recorded
information in response to Q2 and Q5.  Q3 and Q4 were partially answered
and Q6 was fully answered.

 

No information was withheld – your questions were answered as
comprehensively as possible. I am satisfied that the Council has responded
fully to your request and there is no further information that can be
provided to you in this matter.        

 

If you remain dissatisfied, you may complain to the information
Commissioner who can be contacted at
[1]https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Lynette Paterson

Principal Information Management Officer

Wirral Council

Treasury Building

Cleveland Street

Birkenhead

Wirral

CH41 1AH

 

Email: [2][Wirral Borough Council request email]

 

Visit our website: [3]www.wirral.gov.uk

 

 

 

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager.

References

Visible links
1. https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/
2. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]
3. http://www.wirral.gov.uk/

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are April Lloyd please sign in and let everyone know.