Compulsory retirement age for MPS Police Officers
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.037519
I note you seek access to the following information:
- Is this statement as outlined below in Q1a , Q1b and Q1c be confirmed as being factually correct with absolute certainty ?
a) From reading the 1987 PPS regulations and information gleaned to date from FOI’s from the NPCC and Government Actuary Dept., that in 2024 there are effectively two CRA’s in operation specifically with respect to police officers in the UK being considered for ill health retirement (IHR) using the pre-2006 Compulsory Retirement Ages ( CRA’s) - firstly those officers who work for the Metropolitan Police and secondly those officers who work in any of the other police forces in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland with the parameters as outlined below
b) In the MPS officers for the following ranks being considered for IHR whether their rank is a Constable, Sergeant, Inspector, Chief Inspector, Superintendent and Chief Superintendents then the CRA is 55 yrs old ?
c) Outside of the Metropolitan Police Service such as Police Scotland and PSNI the CRA for a Constable & Sergeant is age 55 and for those of Inspector, Chief Inspector to Chief Superintendent ranks it is 60 yrs old ? - Can you provide assurances that the MET are correctly applying the 1987 Pension regulations in respect of CRAs that specifically apply to IHR and how can you be absolutely confident in your response?
I query this because other FOI’s to other UK polices forces are citing a CRA of 55 yrs old for an inspector not a member of the MET when being considered for IHR which appears to be incorrect according to the 1987 police pension regulations
This causes concern that individuals representing their police force responding to the FOI’ s are not providing factually correct information and would cause concern that the actual calculations being worked out for officers exiting under an IHR possibly contain errors. - How does the MET compute pension figures and entitlements when an officer is being IHR’d ?
- Does the MET enter their details into a Government Actuarial Department designed spreadsheet that automatically calculates their IHR pension entitlements to ensure consistently across all 43 UK Police forces rather than individual pension departments manually calculating that officer entitlements & figures?
- Can you confirm that Post-October 2006 these CRA’s have been replaced with age 60 yrs old for the federated ranks of Constable to Chief Inspector with those of ranks of Superintendents & above is age 65 yrs old ?
- Can you confirm that however where an officer is being considered for IHR the post 2006 CRA’s are irrelevant as the pre-2006 CRA’s are being used ?
I have therefore slightly tweaked my original questions reflecting the two different CRA’s that would appear to exist in the UK police forces currently where IHR is being considered for an officer which actually depends on the officers rank and force - the latter specifically as to whether you work for the Metropolitan Police service or any of the other 42 police forces in the UK - Is the CAP you refer to that is applied in essence is the cut off point for hypothetical further service used in calculating that officers ill health pension for officers who leave the service before 1) attaining the pre- October 2006 CRA for their rank and force and 2) who would not have served for 30 years before reaching that CRA subject to the provision that any enhancement doesn’t exceed 40/60th ?
- With reference to the circumstances as previously provided in Q1 of my original submission if this was an officer of Sergeant rank either a member of the MET or other UK Police Force such as Police Scotland, who was a member of the 1987 legacy PPS being ill health retired 2 months after their 55th birthday then based on your responses to my previous questions, they receive no enhancement whatsoever of their original 27/60th’s pensionable service, so none of the 7/60th will be applied to this officer as they have reached their original their rank specific CRA age of 55yrs old for their force ?
- If this officer in Q1 was of Inspector rank in the Metropolitan Police who is ill health retired 1 month after their 55th birthday, then taking cognisance of their actual 23.5 yrs pensionable service in the 1987 legacy PPS, which equates to 27/60th’s - therefore being mindful of the cap which is a maximum of 40/60th and this officer’s relevant CRA in the MET is 55 yrs old, they receive no enhancement whatsoever of their original 27/60th’s pensionable service, so none of the 7/60th will be applied to this officer as they have reached their original CRA age of 55yrs old for their force ?
- If this officer in Q1 was of Inspector rank NOT in the Metropolitan Police so essentially a member of any one of the other 42 UK Police forces such as Police Scotland or PSNI or GMP who is ill health retired 1 month after their 55th birthday but 18 months before they have 30 years pensionable service completed, then taking cognisance of their actual 23.5 yrs pensionable service in the 1987 legacy PPS, which equates to 27/60th’s - therefore being mindful of the cap which is a maximum of 40/60th and this officer’s relevant CRA outside of the MET is 60 yrs old, then this officer does in fact receive all of the 7/60th enhancement available as the total, 34/60th, would still be under the cap (40/60th) for their rank?
- Or would they just receive a smaller portion of the 7/60th available to bring them up to their date of hypothetical 30 yrs pensionable future service point at age 56 & 6 months as in this scenario ?
- Would they in essence just receive one and a half sixtieths or how does this work when we don’t deal with whole 1/60th’s ?
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.
Please find below information pursuant to your request above.
Q1 - Is this statement as outlined below in Q1a , Q1b and Q1c be confirmed as being factually correct with absolute certainty ?
a) From reading the 1987 PPS regulations and information gleaned to date from FOI’s from the NPCC and Government Actuary Dept., that in 2024 there are effectively two CRA’s in operation specifically with respect to police officers in the UK being considered for ill health retirement (IHR) using the pre-2006 Compulsory Retirement Ages ( CRA’s) - firstly those officers who work for the Metropolitan Police and secondly those officers who work in any of the other police forces in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland with the parameters as outlined below
ANSWER – whilst the pre-2006 CRAs are indeed used for IHR they are also used for other elements of the 1987 PPS regulations e.g. for standard retirement. The Met Police does indeed have different CRAs to some, all or most other forces, we cannot however comment on what the CRAs are for every other force in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as we are not responsible for the administration of the pension scheme for these forces.
Qb - In the MPS officers for the following ranks being considered for IHR whether their rank is a Constable, Sergeant, Inspector, Chief Inspector, Superintendent and Chief Superintendents then the CRA is 55 yrs old ?
ANSWER - correct.
c) Outside of the Metropolitan Police Service such as Police Scotland and PSNI the CRA for a Constable & Sergeant is age 55 and for those of Inspector, Chief Inspector to Chief Superintendent ranks it is 60 yrs old ?
ANSWER – as above we cannot confirm this.
Q2 - Can you provide assurances that the MET are correctly applying the 1987 Pension regulations in respect of CRAs that specifically apply to IHR and how can you be absolutely confident in your response?
ANSWER – the Met does indeed apply the CRAs correctly. We are confident this is in line with the police pension scheme regulations, in accordance with the following:
The calculation of ill health benefits under the 1987 scheme is set out in the 1987 legislation in Part III of Schedule B.
Paragraph 5 of this makes reference to a maximum pension based on service “had he continued to serve until he could be required to retire on account of age.”
The “retire on account of age” is covered in Part A regulation A18 which states.
“(b) who is a member of the metropolitan police shall be required to retire—
(i) if he is an assistant commissioner, on attaining the age of 60 years,
(ii) if he is a deputy assistant commissioner or commander, on attaining the age of 57 years,
(iii) if he holds any lower rank, on attaining the age of 55 years.”
I query this because other FOI’s to other UK polices forces are citing a CRA of 55 yrs old for an inspector not a member of the MET when being considered for IHR which appears to be incorrect according to the 1987 police pension regulations.
This causes concern that individuals representing their police force responding to the FOI’ s are not providing factually correct information and would cause concern that the actual calculations being worked out for officers exiting under an IHR possibly contain errors.
Q3 - How does the MET compute pension figures and entitlements when an officer is being IHR’d ?
ANSWER – in adherence to the regulations, some (but not all) of which are outlined above and as explained in the answers to your previous request.
Q4 - Does the MET enter their details into a Government Actuarial Department designed spreadsheet that automatically calculates their IHR pension entitlements to ensure consistently across all 43 UK Police forces rather than individual pension departments manually calculating that officer entitlements & figures?
ANSWER – The Home Office Police Forces of England and Wales are not all necessarily administered by the same organisation. Whilst providing guidance and actuarial factors etc the Government Actuary’s Department are not responsible, nor provide a bespoke tool/spreadsheet for the calculations. The Met, or specifically the pension administrators on behalf of the Met (EQ), use a variety of tools which calculate the benefits in strict adherence to the Police Pension Scheme regulations.
Q5 - Can you confirm that Post-October 2006 these CRA’s have been replaced with age 60 yrs old for the federated ranks of Constable to Chief Inspector with those of ranks of Superintendents & above is age 65 yrs old ?
ANSWER – since the introduction of the 2015 Police Pension Scheme, which all officers are now members of with effect from 1 April 2022, CRAs only exist in terms of the pension regulations. In this instance it is in reference to the pre-October 2006 CRAs.
Q6 - Can you confirm that however where an officer is being considered for IHR the post 2006 CRA’s are irrelevant as the pre-2006 CRA’s are being used ?
ANSWER - correct.
I have therefore slightly tweaked my original questions reflecting the two different CRA’s that would appear to exist in the UK police forces currently where IHR is being considered for an officer which actually depends on the officers rank and force - the latter specifically as to whether you work for the Metropolitan Police service or any of the other 42 police forces in the UK.
Q7 - Is the CAP you refer to that is applied in essence is the cut off point for hypothetical further service used in calculating that officers ill health pension for officers who leave the service before 1) attaining the pre- October 2006 CRA for their rank and force and 2) who would not have served for 30 years before reaching that CRA subject to the provision that any enhancement doesn’t exceed 40/60th ?
ANSWER - the cap is applied to the 1987 element of the pension. The cap is applied to the effect that an officer cannot have a greater 1987 element of pension than the pension they would have been able to accrue had they continued to serve in this pension scheme until their relevant CRA, with an overriding cap of a maximum of 40/60ths.
Q8 - With reference to the circumstances as previously provided in Q1 of my original submission if this was an officer of Sergeant rank either a member of the MET or other UK Police Force such as Police Scotland, who was a member of the 1987 legacy PPS being ill health retired 2 months after their 55th birthday then based on your responses to my previous questions, they receive no enhancement whatsoever of their original 27/60th’s pensionable service, so none of the 7/60th will be applied to this officer as they have reached their original their rank specific CRA age of 55yrs old for their force ?
ANSWER – as above we cannot confirm the position for other police forces as the Met is not responsible for the administration. For the Met however the reference to age 55 for a sergeant would be used when applying any enhancement or considering any cap.
Q9 - If this officer in Q1 was of Inspector rank in the Metropolitan Police who is ill health retired 1 month after their 55th birthday, then taking cognisance of their actual 23.5 yrs pensionable service in the 1987 legacy PPS, which equates to 27/60th’s - therefore being mindful of the cap which is a maximum of 40/60th and this officer’s relevant CRA in the MET is 55 yrs old, they receive no enhancement whatsoever of their original 27/60th’s pensionable service, so none of the 7/60th will be applied to this officer as they have reached their original CRA age of 55yrs old for their force ?
ANSWER – For the Met an Inspector’s CRA is age 55 and thus any enhancement or cap would be treated in the same way as a Sergeant.
Q10 - If this officer in Q1 was of Inspector rank NOT in the Metropolitan Police so essentially a member of any one of the other 42 UK Police forces such as Police Scotland or PSNI or GMP who is ill health retired 1 month after their 55th birthday but 18 months before they have 30 years pensionable service completed, then taking cognisance of their actual 23.5 yrs pensionable service in the 1987 legacy PPS, which equates to 27/60th’s - therefore being mindful of the cap which is a maximum of 40/60th and this officer’s relevant CRA outside of the MET is 60 yrs old, then this officer does in fact receive all of the 7/60th enhancement available as the total, 34/60th, would still be under the cap (40/60th) for their rank?
ANSWER – The Home Office are responsible for the police pension scheme regulations for England and Wales. The Met is not responsible for the pension scheme regulations for forces outside of the Met, as such it would be amiss of us to respond on behalf of said forces, when we have no involvement whatsoever in the administration.
Q11 - Or would they just receive a smaller portion of the 7/60th available to bring them up to their date of hypothetical 30 yrs pensionable future service point at age 56 & 6 months as in this scenario ?
ANSWER - as above.
Q12 - Would they in essence just receive one and a half sixtieths or how does this work when we don’t deal with whole 1/60th’s ?
ANSWER – as above.