Change description : 2025-12-04 09:14:00: Added government response to the consultation and Equalities Impact Assessment. [Policy papers and consultations]
The government response to the consultation on amendments to the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme: retained firefighters.
The government consulted from December 2024 to February 2025 on proposed changes to the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme regulations to provide retrospective pension entitlement to part-time, retained firefighters, who were excluded from scheme membership.
Original consultation
Summary
The Home Office is consulting on changes to the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England).
This consultation closesran atfrom
to
Consultation description
This consultation focuses on the government’s commitment to provide additional remedy and flexibility to those members who were employed as retained firefighters between 7 April 2000 and 5 April 2006 inclusive by providing access to the modified section of Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 2006 (referred to as ‘the modified scheme’).
We are seeking views on proposals to amend to the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England) Order 2006 to allow:
the payment of a missed pension lump sum / survivor’s missed pension payment in respect of a deceased individual who would have been entitled to a pension (or a higher pension) under Matthews remedy
the extension of the eligibility criteria for an ‘additional death grant’ payment, so that it is also payable in respect of those individuals who did not join (or did not get an opportunity to join) the modified scheme during the 2014 Options exercise
individuals who joined the modified scheme as special deferred members the option to convert relevant standard service in the 2006 Scheme to special service in the modified scheme
for a minor clarification to be made to an existing reference to ‘additional death grant’
eligible individuals with periods of ‘opted out’ service in the standard 2006 Scheme to count this towards their special service
flexibility to apply new provisions beyond 31 March 2026
the closure deadline of the 2023 Options exercise to be extended by 12 months to 31 March 2026
members who join the modified scheme as special pensioner members, and who are in receipt of a ‘member initiated early payment of pension’, the ability to convert their standard service to special service
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This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.ukalternativeformats@communities.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.