Human Resources
Back to 1987 Police Pension Scheme (PPS)
Retirement and Benefits
PPS is a 'final salary' scheme, which means that your pension is calculated as a proportion of your final average pensionable pay. This is generally pay in your last year of service as a member of the scheme.
The main benefits of the 1987 police pension scheme are:
- A pension for life, based on your final pensionable pay and pensionable service.
- The final pension is based on 1/60 of your final pensionable pay for each year of pensionable service up to 20 years, and 2/60 of your final pensionable pay for each subsequent year up to a maximum of 30 years and 40/60ths. This method is sometimes referred to as a dual accrual rate.
- The maximum pension is two-thirds of pay.
- You can convert up to a quarter of your pension into a lump sum. Based on the current scale of commutation factors, the lump sum would be up to 2.5 times your final pensionable pay if you are a man or up to 2.75 times that pay if you are a woman.
- A lump sum death grant is payable if you are not opted out of the pension scheme when you die. It is twice your annual pay and is paid to your spouse or civil partner (if you have one), or otherwise to your estate.
You can retire and receive an immediate pension (as opposed to a deferred pension - see below) at the earliest of (depending on your pensionable service - see below):
- after 30 years’ service – making the earliest age in effect 48½ unless you have brought in outside service
- at 50 with 25 years’ service
- at 55 if you are a constable or sergeant in any force with less than 25 years’ service
- at 55 if you are a inspector, chief inspector, superintendent or chief superintendent in the Metropolitan Police with less than 25 years’ service
- at 57 if you are a commander or deputy assistant commissioner in the Metropolitan Police with less than 25 years’ service
- in all other cases at 60.
Part-time service counts as pensionable service on a pro-rata basis. Illustrations are given in Examples 2 and 4 of the 1987 Pension Scheme Members’ Guide.
Pensionable service
PPS calculates benefits as a proportion of final pensionable pay depending on length of service. Service which counts for this purpose (‘pensionable service’) includes:
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Your current service a a regular police officer during which you have paid pension contributions or for which you are deemed to have been paid (e.g. any unpaid period in the first 26 weeks of maternity leave).
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Earlier service in the same force, or in other police forces if you transferred to your present force from another force (again provided that you paid pension contributions in your earlier service and that these have not been refunded to you).
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Earlier service with a Scottish force or the Police Service of Northern Ireland, if you transferred with consent and you paid pension contributions which have not been refunded to you.
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Periods of ‘relevant service’ under Section 97 of the Police Act 1996 (this includes appointments to the Inspectorate of Constabulary and certain types of overseas service) during which you have paid pension contributions. (Officers contemplating overseas service are recommended to seek advice on the pension position before agreeing to undertake it.)
Part-time service counts as pensionable service on a pro-rata basis. Illustrations are given in Examples 2 and 4 of the 1987 Pension Scheme Members’ Guide.
Deferred Pension
If you build up pension rights in the scheme but leave the police service (or opt out of the scheme) before retirement, you will be eligible for a 'deferred pension' payable at age 60. You are entitled to a deferred pension if you have at two years to count towards qualifying service, and you either:
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leave the police, or
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cease to be a member of PPS by opting out of it,
without transferring your PPS rights to another pension scheme.
A deferred pension is payable from age 60. It may be paid earlier if you become permanently disabled from performing the ordinary duties of a police officer. If you leave before the age of 50 with at least 25 years service, then your deferred pension will be paid from age 50.
