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Amendments to Firefighters’ Pension Schemes – Medical Appeals, & Early Payment Reduction from Deferred status in FPS 2015 CARE Scheme
This bulletin is for information purposes only.
The Firefighters Pension Schemes, Firefighters Compensation Scheme & the Firefighters Pensions (Remediable Service) Regulations have been amended to make minor changes these regulations came into operation from 09 January 2025.
Overview of Scheme Amendments
- Firefighters’ Compensation Scheme Order (NI) 2007 (Compensation Scheme),
- The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (NI) 2007, (FPS),
- The New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (N.I.) 2007 (NFPS) &
- The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Regulations (N.I.) 2015 (FPS 15 CARE)
The process for a member to appeal the Scheme Manager’s decision on entitlement to awards on medical grounds if the member is dissatisfied is the responsibility of the Department of Health and they appoint an Independent Medical Referee (IMR) to consider the case. All correspondence was passed from NIFRS to the Department and then on to the IMR.
Each of the pension schemes and the compensation scheme have been amended to permit Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) to send correspondence on an individual’s medical appeal directly to the IMR and removes the requirement for these sensitive documents to be sent to them via the Department of Health.
- Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Regulations (NI) 2015 – Deferred Members
Some corrections have been made to the regulations to facilitate early retirement with actuarial reduction for deferred members of this scheme. Members will have a deferred pension if they leave the scheme or retire before their normal retirement age of 55. The deferred pension age in the 2015 Scheme is age 65 or state pension age (whichever is highest).
The amendment enables deferred members once they have reached normal retirement age of 55 and before they have reached deferred pension age to have their deferred pension paid early with actuarial reductions.
- Firefighters’ Compensation Scheme Order (NI) 2007 (Compensation Scheme) –
Change in Pension Payment of Awards
Currently, awards paid under the Firefighters’ Compensation Scheme Order (NI) 2007 are paid in advance. This process does not align with the provisions across the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (N.I.) 2007, The New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Order (NI) 2007 or the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Regulations (NI) 2015 which allow for payment in arrears. To ensure more simpler and efficient administrative process, from 01 April 2025, all members retiring from all the schemes will be paid in arrears. Those existing pensioners already paid in advance will remain paid in advance.
- The Firefighters’ Pensions (Remediable Service) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023
The amendments to these regulations are to correctly reference the cases in which a member who met the requirements for an ill-health retirement award in one firefighters’ pension scheme is to be deemed as meeting the requirements in their alternative firefighters’ pension scheme, to include FPS Ill health Retired members and NFPS Ill Health Retired special members.
They also have been amended to state there is a requirement for NIFRS to assess the eligibility of a member for an ill health award under the reformed FPS 2015 scheme where the member was originally granted an ill health award under the standard NFPS Scheme.
The amendments also correct small typographical and cross reference errors.
The amending regulations can be viewed here:
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