Pensions: Federation update

11 July 2019

The importance of fair and just pensions for police officers who sacrifice so much during their working careers to serve and protect the public cannot be understated, the Police Federation of England and Wales has stressed in a statement on pensions.

And the Federation has also not ruled out making a legal challenge on behalf of all police officers if necessary.

“Much has been said to the Police Federation of England and Wales, and to local Federations across the country, since the Supreme Court ruled there could be no appeal by the Government on the judges' and firefighters' pension discrimination ruling. We are listening to you. We are listening to your representatives,” the Federation statement says.

And it continues: “Once the Government proposes a remedy – which is likely to be a protracted process and potentially affect all public sector pensions - if it becomes necessary for us to mount a legal challenge on behalf of all police officers in England and Wales then we stand ready to do so. It may be that no one has to submit claims.”

Police Federation officials representing officers from across England and Wales – the National Board and National Council  –  have met over the past two days to discuss important issues affecting members with pensions being top of the items for discussion.

Chairs and secretaries from Federation branches across the country attended the meeting along with national officials with a range of views being expressed.

It was agreed to issue a collective statement, demonstrating a unified position and also pointing out that the Federation stance has always been that police officers should have stayed in the pension schemes they signed up to, or better, and that remains the case.

The statement concludes: “There has been much discussion over what has gone before but we now need to move forward collectively. Not just as a Police Federation but as proud police officers. A collective and non-fragmented voice has the ability to be very powerful and to get the best terms and conditions it can for officers across the country.”

The Federation now awaits a statement from the Government, due before Parliament’s summer recess starts later this month, as to how it intends to remedy the detriment caused to officers not covered by the transitional protections introduced with the new pension scheme.

Read the full statement.

The Federation has also issued an updated pensions FAQs paper for members.