Labour Court recommends €5,000 HSE payment in pension dispute

The Labour Court has recommended that the HSE pay A Retired Worker €5,000 to settle a dispute over a pension estimate. The Court dated its decision 28 August 2024. The worker entered a pre-retirement scheme in 2019, under which part-time service counted as full-time for pension accrual. A June 2020 estimate indicated she would benefit if she retired at 60, but she retired in May 2023 before completing the scheme’s five-year service requirement. The HSE said that requirement had been clarified to her union in May 2022. The Court said the estimate was not an undertaking that fixed the benefits payable under the scheme, and it could not recommend conceding the claim. It recommended the €5,000 ex-gratia payment in recognition of the worker’s service and disappointment, as full and final settlement. It also urged the HSE to review how the scheme clarification was communicated and make any necessary changes.