bluetoffees, My mother belongs to a self help group, several of whom have retired early from work because of poor health. None of whom, so far as we know, have claimed state retirement pension before they have reached state pension age. Any chance you are confusing state retirement pension with pension credit? In some circumstances men can claim earnings related pension credit, instead of employment and support allowance, if they are over the current state pension age for a woman. Department for Work and Pensions defines terminal illness as 'suffering from a progressive disease, and death in consequence of that disease can reason