Additional Pension Benefits (“APBs”) are a form of contributions-based pension paid in addition to the main final salary FPS pension. They are a method of ensuring that an element of pay, which is treated as pensionable but which may not be present at the end of a firefighter’s service, will nevertheless be recognised in respect of contributions paid.
APBS were first introduced to cater for the impact on pensionable pay of the phasing out of the Long Service Increment (LSI) and the introduction of Continual Professional Development (CPD) payments. The removal of LSI affected the pension expectation of those firefighters who were receiving it. CPD payments introduced at the time LSI was phased out could not be guaranteed to be in payment at the end of a firefighter’s service. APBS allowed a way of protecting the value of LSI for those who lost it and an ongoing method of enabling CPD payments to provide a pension for you and your dependants, whether or not CPD payments were being made at the end of your service.
If you are entitled to a LSI APB this will already have been assessed and notified to you by your authority. The value as notified will continue to increase in line with Pensions Increase Orders. It will be paid to you when you become entitled to receive your main FPS benefits. No further LSI APBs will be awarded.
These are additional benefits paid through pension contributions which are in addition to your main final salary (such as CPD). APBs are a way of ensuring that a part of your pay which is pensionable but which you may not be in receipt of at the end of your service is recognised as contributions have been paid on this part.
You and your Employer will pay the basic pension contribution on the additional pensionable amount. The total contributions paid by you and your Employer over the previous 12 months are totalled on every 1 July and this amount is used to “buy” an amount of APB for that year. They are totalled and paid to you as an additional pension when you become eligible to receive your main FPS1992 pension.