One of our members at the University and College Union (UCU), John*, used to enjoy Ironman contests, but now walking to his own bathroom is a feat of will. His resting heart rate was a remarkable 40 beats per minute (bpm), but now sitting up sees it hit 220bpm. He suffers from long Covid and his life has changed beyond measure. His partner is now his carer. He can’t work any more.
John is disabled. But his employer and pension scheme don’t know how to deal with him. Too sick to work, he has nevertheless been denied the ability to access his pension early – something that is offered for many other diseases and health conditions.
