Anger and stress as retired Mayo Mental Health Services staff are left in pension 'limbo'

Retired Mayo Mental Health Services staff are currently facing a very distressing situation as they patiently wait for their pension and lump-sum entitlements to be processed, The Connaught Telegraph has learned.

Having worked and paid into the HSE pension system for many years, the employees, who retired earlier this year, expected that their pensions would be processed within the normal timeframe.

However, the necessary arrangements were not put in place in Mayo in respect of verifying and completing the pension calculations for the workers concerned due to a separate retirement.

Staff were subsequently told that the responsibility for the arrangements was transferred to the HSE pensions department in Galway following the closure of the office in Castlebar.

Now the Galway office has informed the workers that they cannot complete processing the pensions until all information has been verified, finalised and signed off in Mayo.

In effect, the retired staff are now caught in limbo between Mayo and Galway with nobody within HSE taking clear responsibility for completing the process.

Months have now passed without payment and there is still no definite timeframe for when this situation will be resolved.

They are being told that the matter is being discussed at meetings, but there appears to be no clear plan or person in place to bring it to a conclusion.

This has caused considerable stress, anxiety and financial uncertainty for those affected who have worked for many years in the HSE.

"We are simply asking for what we are entitled to — our pension and lump sum," a statement outlined.

"So far there has been no satisfactory resolution. We believe it is completely unacceptable that retired staff should be left in this position through what appears to be a failure in administration and planning," the statement added.

The matter is expected to be raised at the September meeting of the HSE West Forum.