PFEW seeks reassurance regarding implementation of pensions Remedy

29 April 2021

Polfed News

On 20 April 2021 we wrote to the Home Secretary to seek evidence and clarification that the implementation of the public sector pensions Remedy would not cause further discrimination to any of our members.

The transitional protections introduced as part of the 2015 CARE Scheme were found to be discriminatory on the grounds of age, but crucially the McCloud/ Sargeant ruling found that the Government could not justify that the discrimination caused by protecting older members was a proportionate means of achieving its legitimate aim in protecting those closest to retirement.

We are therefore seeking evidence from Government that they are able to justify any potentially discriminatory impacts of the Remedy.

In our response to the Remedy consultation we raised serious concerns around the impact of the Remedy proposals on some groups of members. Our letter to the Home Secretary invites comment and justification on a number of potential issues that we have identified in our initial response to the Government’s proposed Remedy to the discrimination. You can read it here.

We have also written directly to the Home office on a number of other concerns including taxation implications of the Remedy, the position of late joiners to PPS 87, and non-club transfers affected during the Remedy period. Additionally, we continue to discuss the logistics of the implementation of the Remedy with the Police Scheme Advisory Board.

You can find more information about the Government’s response to the public pensions consultation and our full response here.