Hello Payscale. Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I’m currently on a layover.
I don’t know when you joined, but when LIPS first started there were no restrictions, except pre-existing condition or suicide (obesity and smoking were added but then deleted as being too vague); but it was a different time at Emirates when pilots stayed until retirement. They were just being pilots and not everyone was an amateur lawyer looking to exploit a good thing. Unfortunately, LIPS became a victim of its own generosity and because the payout is so good it morphed into an attractive alternative to work.
It became obvious to the Directors of the Plan that something had to be done or a few less-scrupulous pilots would ruin it for everyone. They approached medical risk-assessment companies to get their guidance and a list of ‘self-reported disabilities’ was drafted. Is it sad that this had to be done? Absolutely. Is it a shame that a few bad apples had to spoil it for everyone else? Absolutely.
As an example, to use one of the self-reported disabilities on the list, ‘dizziness’…all a pilot has to say is, “I’m dizzy.” He doesn’t have to prove it…all he has to do is say it for 364 days, at which point Emirates will terminate him and give him a check for 3 years salary. Then he could come to LIPS and say, ‘pay me until I’m 65’. Let’s take it a step further…lets say this pilot is 25 years old. Is it fair to the rest of the members that he gets paid for the next 40 years just for saying two magical words, “I’m dizzy”? I’d think you’d agree that it’s not and that’s why the Plan had to change with the times.