The PSA represents the best interests of members with regards to police pensions, and works to improve and maintain all aspects of police pay, conditions and terms of Service.
The association is an active member of the UK Police Pensions Consultative Forum and the Scheme Advisory Board, through which matters around police pensions are addressed.
Information and updates to assist members are shared below:
The association is an active member of the UK Police Pensions Consultative Forum and the Scheme Advisory Board, through which matters around police pensions are addressed.
Information and updates to assist members are shared below:
**Pensions Remedy Challenges – Guidance and Options for members - April 2025**
New Pensions Remedy Information Guide Published for Members
As a result of changes made to police pensions and the resulting Remedy following the McCloud / Sargeant case, serving and retired police officers at all ranks are facing financial and administrative challenges.
The Police Superintendents’ Association has repeatedly lobbied for urgent action on the part of government and police forces to address the many significant issues facing the police workforce.
Many problems remain unaddressed leaving members and their colleagues facing scenarios including (but not limited to):
- Being unable to provide the information required by the HMRC digital service with regards to annual allowance breach
- Suffering financial loss as a result of a contingent decision – ie a decision taken that would have been different had it not been for the pensions discrimination identified by the courts
- Reaching retirement and receiving no Remedial Service Statement (RSS), or receiving figures which are incorrect
- Pensions statements not being calculated due to having worked part-time, taken a career break or maternity / paternity leave
The Police Superintendents’ Association has repeatedly lobbied for urgent action on the part of government and police forces to address the many significant issues facing the police workforce.
Many problems remain unaddressed leaving members and their colleagues facing scenarios including (but not limited to):
- Being unable to provide the information required by the HMRC digital service with regards to annual allowance breach
- Suffering financial loss as a result of a contingent decision – ie a decision taken that would have been different had it not been for the pensions discrimination identified by the courts
- Reaching retirement and receiving no Remedial Service Statement (RSS), or receiving figures which are incorrect
- Pensions statements not being calculated due to having worked part-time, taken a career break or maternity / paternity leave
The challenges and issues facing members are complex and unique to each individual.
PSA national officers are not qualified to provide legal/pension or financial advice with regards to individual scenarios, so an information guide has been developed, outlining the processes that can be followed to challenge specific problems.
PSA national officers are not qualified to provide legal/pension or financial advice with regards to individual scenarios, so an information guide has been developed, outlining the processes that can be followed to challenge specific problems.
The guide can be accessed here. Please note the slides must be opened in ‘slide show’ mode to enable correct signposting.
This information guide has been reviewed by lawyers who are experts in police pensions issues.
If you are facing any of the scenarios listed above or believe you have suffered financial loss as a result of the impact of pensions remedy, please visit the document and work your way through the slides.
You will be asked a series of questions on your personal situation, the answers to which will direct you to appropriate resources and routes to make claims, lodge complaints, appeal decisions or request data.
These include:
- How to make a subject access request when data is missing for the HMRC Digital Service Return
- How to make a contingent decision claim
- When to invoke the internal dispute resolution process (IDRP) and how to appeal an outcome
- When and how to register a complaint with the pensions ombudsman
- When to make a compensation claim
- How to make a subject access request when data is missing for the HMRC Digital Service Return
- How to make a contingent decision claim
- When to invoke the internal dispute resolution process (IDRP) and how to appeal an outcome
- When and how to register a complaint with the pensions ombudsman
- When to make a compensation claim
We will also ask for information on your individual case to enable the association to continue to lobby on your behalf.* This feedback will give the association the data it requires to evidence the widespread challenges facing the police workforce as a result of the pensions remedy. We ask that both serving and retired members provide this feedback.
*No data containing your name, rank or contact details will be shared with any other party without your express consent in writing. Other data such as your force and category of claim type will be shared with our legal advisors, the Police Federation of England and Wales and the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association and the National Police Chiefs' Council who collectively act on behalf of your employer. This is so collectively the staff associations, and the employer can see the extent of remedy problems across the ranks within UK policing.
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NPCC Pensions Lead - Conference input
NPCC Pensions Lead, Clair Alcock, recently gave an input to delegates at the 2024 conference of the PSA. Her input, which gives latest updates on the pensions remedy, can be viewed here.
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Pensions remedy information – NPCC website
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has developed a website designed to provide information on the impact of the pensions remedy.
The website includes a police retirement calculator to help those affected understand what benefits could be received at retirement, regularly updated FAQs and a specific FAQ on how pension tax charges are calculated and paid.
The site also contains a number of downloadable fact sheets as follows:
The website includes a police retirement calculator to help those affected understand what benefits could be received at retirement, regularly updated FAQs and a specific FAQ on how pension tax charges are calculated and paid.
The site also contains a number of downloadable fact sheets as follows:
Member factsheet – contribution adjustments
The Pension Scheme website is intended to give generic information about the police pension scheme. It is not intended to provide advice to individual members, who should not make financial decisions based on the information it provides, but seek advice from an independent financial adviser. The PSA is not responsible in any way for the pension scheme website and its contents and will not be liable for any loss suffered as a result of using it.
The Pension Scheme website is intended to give generic information about the police pension scheme. It is not intended to provide advice to individual members, who should not make financial decisions based on the information it provides, but seek advice from an independent financial adviser. The PSA is not responsible in any way for the pension scheme website and its contents and will not be liable for any loss suffered as a result of using it.
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Pension Update Feb 2024
Pension Update for those planning on retiring soon, and those who are over 55 and contemplating deferring their 2015 pension
(February 2024)
In relation to the Police Pension (CARE 2015), some affected members have interpreted the regulations, that when they reached 55 years of age and choose to retire, if they then choose not to take their PPS2015 benefits immediately upon retirement, then any actuarial reduction on their benefits would continue to be applied from age 60, rather than from state pension age.
Recently, the PSA has become aware that the pension administrators are interpreting the regulations as follows: "Should a member retire having reached age 55, who then opts not to take their PPS2015 benefits immediately on retirement, they will be deemed to be a deferred member of the scheme. Should they then subsequently elect to take their PPS2015 benefits prior to reaching state pension age, any actuarial reduction would be applied from state pension age rather than age 60."
We have raised this as an issue with the NPCC pension lead and it is to be taken to the Police Pension Scheme Advisory Board for review.
As the regulations stand currently, members who retire age 55 or older, and who defer their PPS2015 benefits, will end up financially disadvantaged in comparison with those who elect to take their PPS2015 benefits immediately on retirement. We struggle to understand how this could be the policy intent behind the regulations. This issue is unlikely to be resolved immediately, but we will update you when we know more.
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