Hampshire Pension Services

Administering the Local Government Pension Scheme, Police and Fire schemes

New Firefighters' Pension Scheme, including retained firefighters

About the scheme

The New Firefighters' Pension Scheme is an unfunded, occupational pension scheme. It is a national scheme with individual fire and rescue authorities responsible for its administration.

Benefits

  • Pension based on service and final pay. Each year of service provides pension worth 1/60 of your final pay. For part-time firefighters service is scaled down and pay is the whole-time equivalent
  • Option to commute (exchange) pension for a retirement lump sum
  • Option to pay additional contributions to increase your pension
  • Ill health and injury pensions which may be enhanced
  • Death in service lump sum of three times pensionable pay
  • A pension for your surviving widow, widower, civil partner or nominated partner
  • Pensions for dependent children

Transfers into the scheme

If you wish transfer any previous pension benefits into the NFPS, you must normally apply to do so within a year of joining the scheme. To find out more please read the scheme guide and to investigate a transfer please follow the instructions in the transfer booklet - both are on the forms and guides tab.

Retained firefighters

Pensionable pay for retained firefighters is based on the whole-time pay for a regular firefighter in a similar role. To work out pensionable service, the pay received is compared to the whole-time pay to show the proportion of pensionable service that will count in each financial year. Please see the guide for retained firefighters which is available on the forms and guides tab.

 

Current contribution rates:

You contribute a percentage of your pensionable pay towards your pension. Your contribution rate is determined by your pensionable pay; if you are part-time, your pay is scaled up to its whole-time equivalent.

Whole-time equivalent pensionable pay 2013 / 2014 contribution rate
To and including £15,000 8.5%
£15,000 to £21,000 9.1%
£21,000 to £30,000 9.6%
£30,000 to £40,000 9.9%
£40,000 to £50,000 10.1%
£50,000 to £60,000 10.2%
£60,000 to £100,000 10.5%
£100,000 to £120,000 10.8%
Over £120,000 11.1%

If your pay is reduced or stopped due to sick leave or "punishment", you will still pay the full amount of contributions.

During maternity, paternity or adoption leave you will make contributions from the pay you receive. If additional maternity or adoption leave is unpaid, you can opt to pay contributions based on the rate you were receiving immediately before pay ceased, so that it will count as pensionable service.

If you would like another type of unpaid absence to count as pensionable service, contributions must be paid in full. You will have to pay the employee's and employer's contributions. Your fire and rescue authority may pay the employer's amount for you at their discretion.

 

Added years

What are added years?

Added years are a way to increase your benefits in the New Firefighters' Pension Scheme by paying extra contributions. An election to pay added years can be made at any time up to two years before normal retirement age.

How much do they cost?

Contributions are a percentage of your pay, determined by the Government Actuary. How much you pay depends on how old you are when you begin paying added years, and on how many years you buy.

Contributions would normally be deducted from your pay each month. You can choose to pay a lump sum if you joined the scheme less than one year ago.

These tables show the percentage of your pay needed to purchase one year.

How can I begin paying added years?

Please write to us so that we can send you more information and a contract to sign if you wish to go ahead.

What happens if I stop paying them early?

If you stop paying added years before retirement age you will be credited with the proportion of the added years you have paid for.

 

Leaving service

If you leave service before age 55 your pension will become deferred and its value will be index linked.

  • Your deferred benefits will normally be payable at age 65.
  • Your authority may allow your deferred pension to be paid from age 55. Benefits would be reduced for early payment.
  • Your deferred pension may be paid from any age on ill health grounds.
  • You may be able to transfer the benefits to another pension scheme.

If you re-engage as a firefighter

If you re-engage as a firefighter you will be enrolled into the pension scheme again. You could choose to transfer your deferred benefits to your new pensionable service.

 

Opting out

You can opt out of the pension scheme at any time by writing to your fire and rescue authority. Your pension benefits will become deferred and their value will be index linked.

  • Your deferred pension will normally be payable at age 65, once you have left service.
  • You may be able to transfer the benefits to another pension scheme.
  • You may be able to rejoin the pension scheme but may have to undergo a medical at your own expense.

Ill health

Your pension may be paid from any age on ill health grounds but it will not be increased, as it may have been if you had not opted out.

Death benefits

Any death benefits would relate to your deferred pension, so there would not be a death in service payment. Dependants' pensions would be based on your pay and service at the point you opted out of the scheme, and would not be enhanced.

Firefighters' compensation scheme

If you remain in service you will continue to be covered by the Firefighters' compensation scheme which is not part of the pension scheme.

 

Retiring from service

  • Your pension will be payable if you leave service age 60 or over.

  • If you leave service between age 55 and 60 you can ask for your pension to be paid; if you do, the benefits will be reduced for early payment.

  • Your pension may be paid immediately if Hampshire Fire and Rescue retires you on ill health grounds.

  • If you have deferred pension benefits please see our previous member section

When you tell Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority that you are retiring they will give you a retirement declaration form. Please complete and send it to Pensions Services.

We will write to you if you have deferred pension benefits that are due to be paid.

Commutation

When you retire you can choose to commute (exchange) up to 25% of your pension for a retirement lump sum. Each pound of pension that you commute will provide a lump sum of 12 pounds.

 

NFPS forms and guides

Forms

Current guides

Archived guidance

These pages from the DCLG website are no longer updated.