Pension Query

Request Number: FOI/15710

Category: Finance and Procurement - Finance

Subject: Pension Query

Request and Answer: 
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does hold information to which your request relates. The decision has been taken to disclose the following.

Request 1
Within the context of a police officer who has nominated to have their service during the McCloud remedy period from 2015-2022 treated as if they had remained in their original 1988 legacy scheme, which final salary figure is used when calculating their pension entitlement under that scheme - 
Is it their salary right up to the day they exit your organisation in October 2025 which is used for calculating the final salary element of the 1988 PPS legacy scheme?

Answer 1 
It’s based on the final day of their service, one year back, and it’s the best of the final 3 years of their service. For example an officer retiring on 31/10/25:

This is the best pensionable salary earned between 01/11/24 – 31/10/25, 01/11/23 – 31/10/24 and 01/11/22 – 31/10/23.

Request 2
Is it their salary back as of the 31st March 2022 when the rights to accrual in the old 1988 PPS scheme closed and all service from that point onwards was transferred to the 2015 CARE?

Answer 2
Yes that’s correct from April 2022 all members were transitioned to the CARE from the legacy scheme.

Request 3
Can you confirm if the government’s actuary department has recently instructed police pension administrators in your organisation that the final salary 1988 legacy pensions have been incorrectly calculated?

Answer 3
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) can confirm that they have not.

Request 4 
Can you confirm if Schedule 4, Part 6, Paragraph 23 specifically of the Police Pension Regulations 2015 is relevant when your organisation calculates retiring officers entitlements under the 1988 scheme and that legacy pensions should in fact be calculated using the APP and service at the point that scheme closed which necessarily means 31st March 2022 for the original legacy 1988 PPS?

Answer 4
PSNI Pensions Branch calculate all ill health pensions as directed and instructed by the Northern Ireland Policing Board.