- There are currently three Police Pension Schemes in operation, following the introduction of a new career average revalued earnings pension scheme on 1st April 2015 (the 2015 Scheme). All new recruits to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) are automatically enrolled onto the 2015 Scheme.
Officers with full protection will remain in their current Police Pension Scheme and transition members will move into the 2015 Police Pension Scheme after their transitional protection period ceases. Please consult the 2015 Scheme Members Guide if you are unsure which of the three Police Pension Schemes you are a member of.
A copy of the Members Guide for each of the Police Pension Schemes is set out below. These provide an overview of the benefits of membership of each scheme and how they are operated. If you have any questions on your Police Pension Scheme, which are not addressed in the Members Guide, please contact PSNI Pensions Branch at pensions@psni.police.uk.
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Contributions
You pay contributions towards the cost of your pension benefits. These are set as a percentage of your ‘pensionable pay'. The rate of contribution which you pay is dependent on which Police Pension Scheme you are enrolled in and may be varied by the Minister of Justice. The current rates of contribution are set out in the following document
Ill Health Pension
As a serving officer, the PSNI’s Occupational Health and Welfare Unit may refer you to the Policing Board for consideration of ill-health retirement. You will be assessed by a qualified medical practitioner known as a Selected Medical Practitioner (SMP) to determine if you are permanently disabled for performing the ordinary duties of a member of the Police Service.
The process and qualifying conditions for ill-health retirement are detailed in the 2015 Scheme Members Guide (Part Time Reserve officers should refer to Section 7). Referrals in process prior to 1st April 2015 for full protection or transition members will be considered under the 1998 or 2006 Police Pension Scheme as appropriate until their transitional protection ceases. Details of the process are contained in the Members Guide for each scheme.
You can find out more in this Frequently Asked Questions document here:
Deferred Pension
If you leave the police service before your normal pension age, your pension will be deferred. You can choose to have your deferred pension brought into payment early. However, it will be reduced to reflect the fact that it is paid earlier and for a longer period.
Your deferred pension may be paid early without this reduction if you become permanently disabled. See the Members Guide for your respective Police Pension Scheme for more information.
To apply for a deferred pension to be paid early due to ill-health please download, complete and submit the forms available here
Opting out
If you wish to opt-out of your Police Pension Scheme at any stage you may do so by completing and submitting an opt-out form to PSNI Central Pay and copy it to Police Pensions Branch at Lisnasharragh. The implications of opting out of your Police Pension Scheme are detailed in the relevant Members Guide.
Please note: It is recommended you seek financial advice on the implications before providing written notice to opt-out of your Police Pension Scheme.