Fewer civil servants retire than expected
by Martina O’Leary
Less than 650 established civil servants retired in 2013, about one third below the expected figure of 950. The lower than expected number of retirees is attributed to the extension of the grace period for public sector retirement, which was further extended in February.
It was initially agreed that civil and public servants who retire before August 2014 would receive a pension based on their salary before application of the pay cuts. This ‘grace period’ was designed to incentivise public servants nearing retirement to leave early. However the deadline has now been extended twice, first to 20 June 2015, and more recently, to June 2016. Both extensions were due to the large number of experienced staff leaving the service and also to coincide with the expiry of the Haddington Road Agreement (HRA).
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