Expenditure on the medical retirement of high school staff

Summary

The requester asked for annual expenditure data on lump sum payments for medical retirement of teaching staff over the last five years. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture responded that the information is not held because no such lump sums are paid by the department, with staff instead accessing pensions through the Teachers' Pension Scheme.

Key Facts

• The Department of Education, Sport and Culture does not hold information on lump sum payments for medical retirement.
• Staff leaving due to ill health access their pension under the Teachers' Pension Scheme.
• The only payment made by the department in these cases is the contractual notice.
• The request was received on 24 October 2024 and closed on 11 November 2024.
• The case reference number is 4218357.

Data Disclosed

• 2024-10-24
• 2024-11-11
• 4218357
• last 5 years
• 01624 685808

Original Request

I would like to know how much money the DESC has spent annually over the last 5 years on teaching staff who have been paid a lump sum to retire early or leave the education system on medical grounds.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Policy, Strategy and Governance Division Department of Education, Sport and Culture Thie Slieau Whallian Foxdale Road St Johns IM4 3AS

Telephone: (01624) 685808 Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im

Our ref: 4218357 11 November 2024

Dear ###

We write further to your request received 24 October 2024, which states:

"I would like to know how much money the DESC has spent annually over the last 5 years on teaching staff who have been paid a lump sum to retire early or leave the education system on medical grounds."

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. By way of advice and assistance in the instance that staff leave through ill health retirement they can access their pension under the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. There is no lump sum paid by DESC other than their contractual notice.

Please quote the reference number 4218357 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on;

1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or
2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
   In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.