An anomaly in the government’s pension legislation will force around 1,600 Ministry of Defence (MoD) firefighters to work until they are 68, an issue that they hope to fight in Parliament.

According to Lord Hutton’s final report on public service pension provision, the pension age for uniformed services including the armed forces, police and civilian firefighters “has historically been lower to reflect the unique nature of their work” and therefore it adds that a “pension age of 60 is appropriate.” The report however does not include MoD firefighters in this category and they are not included as uniform grades and thus have to work for longer.

As a result of this flaw in legislation, a delegation of firefighters will lobby MPs and peers at the Houses of Parliament tomorrow in a bid to lower their pension age to 60. Unite, has also requested that peers resolve this flawed legislation.

In a written letter to peers, Unite national officer for MoD/government departments Mike McCartney said that MoD firefighters “would be expected to carry out the physical and arduous job until the statutory pension age.”

He added that “this group of workers have to undergo vigorous medical and fitness checks on a yearly basis. If they do not pass these tests they are likely to be moved out of the service on capability grounds, probably on medical retirement.”

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