Are you caught in the pensions trap?

20 April 2022

Federation members who are caught in the pensions trap are being urged to contact Derbyshire Police Federation explaining how the pension changes will impact them.

If your answer to all three questions below is “yes” then you fall into the pensions trap. 

1. Were you previously an active member of the Police Pension Scheme (PPS) 1987 before being moved to the 2015 Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) Scheme and continuing to pay contributions?
2. Will you need to remain an active member of the 2015 scheme after 31 March 2022 to access your benefits from PPS 1987 by either completing 30 years’ continuous combined pensionable service, or by completing at least 25 years’ continuous combined pensionable service and reaching the age of 50?
3. Will you be eligible to access your benefits from PPS 1987 before you reach 55? (For example, reaching 30 years’ pensionable service before age 55 or reaching 25 years’ pensionable service and aged at least 50).

If your answer to any of these questions is “no” you can find out more here.

But if you have answered “yes”, the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) wants to know:

• Has the situation changed your retirement plans?
• Will it adversely affect your financial position?
• Will it prevent or delay you from taking up employment opportunities outside policing?
• Has it had any other adverse effects on you?

Alex Duncan, national Federation secretary, explains: “This pensions trap issue is one of which the Police Federation of England and Wales is acutely aware and has raised with the Home Office, along with a suggested way of alleviating the problem.

“PFEW, along with the other staff associations, is continuing to lobby the Government on this matter. The Government has advised us that it is considering the position but has asked us to provide evidence to back up our claims that the ‘pensions trap’ is causing problems for members and adversely affecting morale.”

If you are in the pensions trap, please can you provide Derbyshire Police Federation with details of how you have been impacted by 27 April. The branch will then collate the information and pass on to PFEW to help with its submission to the Government.

Email the Federation office.