The government has confirmed that it will push ahead with the proposals previously outlined for the Firefighters' Pension Scheme, although some changes have been made in response to industry feedback. 

The government previously held a consultation on its plans 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 scheme.  

Retained firefighters are part-time firefighters who only attend a fire station after having received an emergency callout, unless undertaking training or scheduled duties.

Although retained firefighters historically lacked access to the 1992 Firefighters’ Pension Scheme, the 2006 Matthews case led to the creation of a modified pension scheme in 2014 that extended similar benefits to eligible retained firefighters.

Ongoing implementation issues and legislative gaps mean that many Fire and Rescue Authorities cannot complete the 2023 options exercise by the March 2025 deadline, prompting the government to consult on plans to provide additional remedy and flexibility to those members who were employed as retained firefighters during the period.

The government's response confirmed that the proposals received a positive response during consultation, although a notable proportion of respondents felt that certain elements did not go far enough to address key concerns. 

After carefully considering the responses, the government confirmed hat it will proceed with implementing the proposals consulted on as set out above, with key changes in several areas.

In particular,  the calculation of the proposed lump sum payment has been modified and now assumes that the deceased individual would have commuted the maximum of their annual pension for a retirement lump sum, in order to better reflect the scheme experience and, in most cases, will result in a higher lump sum payment. 

Flexibilities have also been introduced to allow FRAs to determine the deceased’s pay and service where no, or limited, information is available. 

The beneficiaries of the proposed survivors missed lump sum payment has also  been changed to restrict payment to living survivor beneficiaries only, in line with the policy intention, and the formula for calculating the grant has been modified to provide for the calculation of the grant for deceased individuals who had not previously joined the modified scheme.    

Due to ongoing delays in finalising the amending legislation, the proposal has been modified to extend the deadline for the new benefits/2023 options exercise by 12 months from when the associated amending legislation comes into force. 

The government also made several technical changes intended to introduce flexibilities to provide FRAs sufficient time to identify and notify eligible individuals of their pension entitlements under the modified scheme, and to extend the scope of the provisions to cover newly identified cohorts of eligible individuals.   

The response stated: "The government remains committed to ensuring that the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme is fair, sustainable, and continues to meet the needs of its members.

"The proposals outlined in this consultation reflect our ongoing efforts to address historic inequalities, improve scheme accessibility, and provide clarity and consistency in the application of pension entitlements. 

"Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government officials will continue to work closely with Local Government Authority colleagues to provide guidance to support FRAs to implement the final changes and to monitor the implementation of these changes to ensure they are delivered effectively."   

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