Pensions

PFEW can offer guidance as opposed to advising a member to take a particular course of action.

This means that:

• PFEW can inform the member in general terms about what benefits are provided by a scheme in any given circumstances, and
• PFEW can inform the member by explaining the choices they have in any given situation along with, in general terms, the consequences of deciding to take the various courses of action available.

It is the role of PFEW to provide factual information and support and not advice.

Please follow this link to the PFEW advice pages for pension: Pensions

XPS, your pension provider has also set up a new website with pension info for the 87, 2006 and 2015 pensions.

Discipline and Criminal Convictions

An officer required to resign or dismissed from service because of a discipline conviction (which might include the discipline offence of criminal conduct) will not be entitled to an ill health award because, if even he/she is permanently disabled, he/she will not have retired on that ground. However, so long as the qualifying conditions are satisfied he/she can still have an injury award and if he/she retires with an entitlement to a deferred pension or ordinary pension deferred until age 50, he/she can apply for immediate payment if he/she is permanently disabled. In that case, it does not matter what the cause of the disablement is.

An officer convicted of a serious criminal offence can face the possibility of forfeiture of pension under Reg.K5. This does not apply to disciplinary convictions only and the criminal offence in question must fall into one the of the three following categories:

• Treason
• Official Secrets Act offences leading to at least 10 years in prison
• An offence connected with police service which is certified by the Secretary of State either to have been gravely injurious to the interests of the State or liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service

An appeal against a forfeiture decision lies to the Crown Court under reg. H5 and the individual should seek to make representations to the Secretary of Sate in a case where forfeiture depends upon the Secretary of State certificate. It is arguable that natural justice requires the opportunity to make such representations.