The freeze on recruitment has meant that there have been very few new members of staff employed in DWP for a number of years. As a result of this there has been a big increase in the average age of the current workforce. Recent statistics revealed that 42.4% of staff are over 50, with 22.5% over 55.
People approaching retirement age now have a range of options open to them and may chose to combine work with other interests. Inevitably there are those who are considering taking the option of partial retirement.
What is Partial
Retirement?
Partial Retirement is a flexibility introduced across the Civil Service in
March 2008 enabling members of the PCSPS to take some, or all, of their pension
and carry on working. There are set conditions, details of which can be found
on the Civil Service Pensions website, and there is a Partial retirement
calculator which members can use to understand how it will affect income, also
on the same website. Members can apply for partial retirement from age 55 (50
if in Classic, Classic Plus or Premium pre 6 April 2006).
Worklife Balance
People choose to take partial retirement for many reasons, increased caring
responsibilities with elderly parents, looking after grandchildren, health
reasons and often to move into retirement gradually for improved worklife
balance.
Rejecting Requests
PCS has received reports from around the Country that some members encounter
difficulties in getting agreement for partial retirement, the main reason for
refusal being the old chestnut of ‘business needs’. While management are able
to refuse requests their own guidance states that requests should be looked at
sympathetically and that partial retirement is an important aspect of the
government’s Extended Working Life agenda.
Conference Policy
At PCS Conference 2013 it was agreed that the GEC should negotiate
improvements to the DWP Partial Retirement policy. In particular, to include a
provision that when a request for partial retirement has been refused on the
grounds of business needs the refusal should last no longer than 6 months and
then the request should be allowed. It is clear that this would be more
appropriate to the governments Extended Working Life agenda than an outright
refusal. The six month period giving DWP long enough to make arrangements to
cover any shortfall created by the reduction in hours by an individual.
PCS, through DTUS, recently wrote to DWP on the issue and they responded by
saying that requests are considered sympathetically and granted where possible
but if business needs are compromised they can be turned down. They went on to
say that members can reapply at any time and have the request considered afresh
therefore negating the need for an automatic review.This was disappointing and we will continue to press for improvements to the policy. In the meantime, reps should advise members to put in grievances when requests are refused unreasonably and ask for full details of how business will be ‘compromised’ by the request. Furthermore, members should reapply if appropriate.
This is another area which has been the victim of the government’s ideological cuts agenda meaning that there is less flexibility within the workforce to fit into the governments own Extended Working life agenda allowing members to plan and ease into retirement.
