As a member of the 2006 Scheme for Special Members you pay a contribution which is a percentage of your pensionable pay.
Current contribution rates for the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 are as follows:
| Contribution Table 2021/22 | |
|---|---|
| Pensionable pay | Contribution rate 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 |
| Up to and including £15,609 | 11.0% |
| More than £15,609 and up to and including £21,852 | 12.2% |
| More than £21,852 and up to and including £31,218 | 14.2% |
| More than £31,218 and up to and including £41,624 | 14.7% |
| More than £41,624 and up to and including £52,030 | 15.2% |
| More than £52,030 and up to and including £62,436 | 15.5% |
| More than £62,436 and up to and including £104,060 | 16.0% |
| More than £104,060 and up to and including £124,872 | 16.5% |
| More than £124,872 | 17.0% |
Contribution rates for the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 are as follows:
| Contribution Table 2020/21 | |
|---|---|
| Pensionable pay | Contribution rate 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 |
| Up to and including £15,609 | 11.0% |
| More than £15,609 and up to and including £21,852 | 12.2% |
| More than £21,852 and up to and including £31,218 | 14.2% |
| More than £31,218 and up to and including £41,624 | 14.7% |
| More than £41,624 and up to and including £52,030 | 15.2% |
| More than £52,030 and up to and including £62,436 | 15.5% |
| More than £62,436 and up to and including £104,060 | 16.0% |
| More than £104,060 and up to and including £124,872 | 16.5% |
| More than £124,872 | 17.0% |
Contribution rates for the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 are as follows:
| Contribution Table 2019/20 | |
|---|---|
| Pensionable pay | Contribution rate 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 |
| Up to and including £15,609 | 11.0% |
| More than £15,609 and up to and including £21,852 | 12.2% |
| More than £21,852 and up to and including £31,218 | 14.2% |
| More than £31,218 and up to and including £41,624 | 14.7% |
| More than £41,624 and up to and including £52,030 | 15.2% |
| More than £52,030 and up to and including £62,436 | 15.5% |
| More than £62,436 and up to and including £104,060 | 16.0% |
| More than £104,060 and up to and including £124,872 | 16.5% |
| More than £124,872 | 17.0% |
Contribution rates for the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 are as follows:
| Contribution Table 2018/19 | |
|---|---|
| Pensionable pay | Contribution rate 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 |
| Up to and including £15,609 | 11.0% |
| More than £15,609 and up to and including £21,852 | 12.2% |
| More than £21,852 and up to and including £31,218 | 14.2% |
| More than £31,218 and up to and including £41,624 | 14.7% |
| More than £41,624 and up to and including £52,030 | 15.2% |
| More than £52,030 and up to and including £62,436 | 15.5% |
| More than £62,436 and up to and including £104,060 | 16.0% |
| More than £104,060 and up to and including £124,872 | 16.5% |
| More than £124,872 | 17.0% |
Contribution rates for the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018 are as follows:
| Contribution Table 2017/18 | |
|---|---|
| Pensionable pay | Contribution rate 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018 |
| Up to and including £15,454 | 11.0% |
| More than £15,454 and up to and including £21,636 | 12.2% |
| More than £21,636 and up to and including £30,909 | 14.2% |
| More than £30,909 and up to and including £41,212 | 14.7% |
| More than £41,212 and up to and including £51,515 | 15.2% |
| More than £51,515 and up to and including £61,818 | 15.5% |
| More than £61,818 and up to and including £103,030 | 16.0% |
| More than £103,030 and up to and including £123,636 | 16.5% |
| More than £123,636 | 17.0% |
The fire and rescue authority pay an employer’s contribution and additional charges for ill-health awards plus the cost of exercising certain discretions allowed under the rules. Employees’ and employers’ contributions are determined by the Secretary of State on the advice of the Scheme Actuary who will have regard to the total cost of Scheme benefits. They are reviewed regularly.
The pensionable pay from which the contributions are deducted is the amount determined in relation to the duties of your role and certain payments which the authority may, at their discretion, treat as pensionable for providing “Additional Pension Benefits”. For retained firefighters it is not possible to achieve total consistency with regular firefighters' pensionable pay but, generally, it will be the main "constant" elements of pay, e.g. annual retainer, disturbance payment, payment for work activity, and overtime. And any items of pay which would not be treated as pensionable for regular firefighters, for example certain reimbursements of expenditure, are treated as non-pensionable for retained firefighters, too. It is on the elements of pensionable pay that pension contributions will be assessed.
Mandatory Special Period Pension Contributions
These are, in effect, historic contributions, i.e. those you would have paid had you been admitted to the FPS with effect from the date you have chosen between 1 July 2000 and 5 April 2006, up to the date at which you elected to join. Payment of the contributions is a condition of admission to the modified NFPS. You can pay the contributions by a single lump sum or periodically along with your basic contributions.
A lump sum would have to be paid within 6 months from the date of electing to join – failure to pay within this period would mean that the election to join would be treated as not having been made.
Periodic contributions (plus interest) would be paid over a period of 10 years, commencing after the date of election. If the firefighter paying by this method were to retire within those 10 years and before payment had been completed, there would be an option to pay the balance of contributions as a lump sum within three months of becoming entitled to receive payment of the pension. Payment could be made by a deduction from any lump sum by commutation.
If payment is not made in full, the period of special pensionable service that was due to be credited will be pro rated according to contributions paid as a proportion of contributions due. The exception to this would be if the firefighter were to die in service. Then, full credit of special pensionable service would be given, and used in the calculation of survivor benefits.
Contributions for unpaid leave
During paid maternity, paternity or adoption leave you would pay contributions on whatever rate of pay you receive; if a period of additional maternity, paternity or adoption leave is unpaid, you will have the option to pay contributions on the rate you were receiving immediately before pay ceased (disregarding any "Keeping in Touch" days), if you wish to count that period as pensionable service.
If you have an unpaid period of absence for other reasons (including authorised sick leave), you will have the option to pay contributions (based on the pay you would have received but for the absence) in order that the period can count as pensionable service. You would be required to pay both the employee's and employer's contribution. (At their discretion the fire and rescue authority may agree to pay the employer's contribution for you.)
Contact the fire and rescue authority's pensions administrator if you require more information about these options.