News • 13 July 2003

Illness retirement among government employees up

Julian ManducaWhile the general health of the Maltese is improving and our young are growing taller, not everyone seems to be enjoying better health.

In 1999 171 civil servants applied to be ‘boarded out’ because of illness. In the pre election year, 2002, the figure more than doubled, to 368. Already in the year 2000 the number of people retiring from government employment early because of illness or disability was up to 277. 2001 saw 299 successfully apply for early retirement and 2003 will likely see about 350, retaining the 2002 level (see table).

The decisions for early retirement include back-ache, depression and a hoist of other reasons, which convince the medical board that a civil servant is no longer fit for work.

Under the Social Security Act, any insured person over the age of 18 may apply for a pension in respect of invalidity. Entitlement to such benefit is regulated both by statutory and contribution conditions. If the person applying for such pension satisfies the conditions laid down in the Act, and is found to be incapable for full-time or regular part-time employment for a period of not less than 3 years, then a pension in respect of invalidity is paid.

Social policy minister Dr Lawrence Gonzi told MaltaToday: "The Ministry for Social Policy is responsible for those claimants who fall within the remit of the Social Secuity Act. Invalidity claims by members of the Public Service is not regulated by the above mentioned Act but by the Public Service Management Code ownership of which lies within the Management and Personnel Office within the Office of the Prime Minister."

The Management and Personnel Office does not keep statistics of the reasons for people retiring early, and MaltaToday was referred to the health ministry. The health minister’s communications officer told MaltaToday: "No readily available statistics are kept on the main reasons of early retirement. However the specialists who preside over the medical board are made up of psychiatrists, ophthalmologists, orthopaedics and medical physicians."

On 24 May 2003 Labour MP Noel Farrugia asked Social Policy Minister Lawrence Gonzi for the number of people boarded out in Malta and Gozo separately for the years 2000 to 2003, but the question remains unanswered.

julian@maltamag.com