A total of 1,035 applications have been received since the start of the current early retirement scheme in November 2000, of which 815 are approved for payment and a further 175 are being processed. Of the remaining 45 applications, a small number were found to be completely ineligible, usually on age grounds. Many of the others had faults that could be rectified, however, and the applicants have every chance of being accepted into the scheme if their applications are submitted again in a correct form.