Ill Health Retirement – Settlement Approved By The High Court On 24 February 2022
Update
The hearing to consider approval of the settlement in the ill-health early retirement (“IHER”) benefits case took place on 24 February 2022.
We are pleased to report that Mrs Justice Bacon DBE has now approved the settlement on the basis that it is for the benefit of both the members and employers.
John Oldland, independent Chair of the Trustee, comments “The Trustee welcomes the certainty that this settlement brings for members and employers and that it avoids the need for further time and cost for the case to go to a full trial. The Trustee has done all it can to facilitate the long settlement process to reach the point where the settlement can now be implemented. The Trustee, in conjunction with its advisors, will now be working very hard to ensure payments under the settlement are paid to affected members in the shortest possible timeframe”.
The Trustee can now progress with implementing the settlement and will send letters to members in March with further information.
By way of background, in August 2021, the Trustee wrote to members and explained the settlement which had been reached between the parties. You can download a copy of that letter.
The previously agreed settlement has now been updated to take account of the newly identified historical issues. However, no changes have been made to the details previously provided about the members who may be eligible or to the process to consider claims as explained in the August 2021 letter.
More information
If you would like more information, you can call our trained helpline agents on the freephone helpline below. This is a dedicated phone line for this case.
Freephone helpline telephone number: 0800 197 6923
The helpline agents are only able to explain the settlement in general terms as previously described. They are not able to provide any views or advice about the expected outcome in your particular case e.g., whether you will qualify and, if so, what compensation you might receive.
You can also write to us or email us at the address below. Again, we are not able to provide any views or advice about the expected outcome in your particular case.
Our address for enquiries by post is:
Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund
Post Handling Team
Maclaren House
Talbot Road
Stretford
Manchester
M32 0FP
Our email address for enquiries is: mnrpf.mailings@mercer.com
Keeping your records safe
As noted several times before, in relation to the IHER case, the key thing that you need to do now, if you are not in receipt of an IHER pension but think you might be affected by the IHER case, is keep safe any relevant records that you have.
In summary, the Trustee strongly recommends that, where possible, if you were in service on 8 October 1993 (even if you were in between ships on that date), you retain any medical and employment history and/or details about your past health. This is particularly around the time of leaving Merchant Navy service as a Rating. If you are incapable of doing so or are the survivor of a member who was in service on 8 October 1993, the Trustee recommends that the family / survivors / estates of the member retain any relevant details and/or records.
