Police pensions advice.

[13greentomatoes]

Hi, mainly advice about this:

There is a Police recruitment drive tomorrow at our local Police station, and want to ask about Police pension scheme. Is it still final salary pensions, or has that been changed now?

The reason being, I've been in the NHS for 9 years, and I am currently in the 1995 pension scheme there. The dept I'm in (Health Records, which is going paperless) is to close by the end of this year, so I will need to either retrain, or be made redundant.

I have about 10 - 12 years left before I can retire, my most crucial time pensionwise, so any future employment pension needs to match up (or nearabouts) with the pension I already have, iyswim.

Or would it be better to stay put and wait... I'm 48. Is the Police pension scheme worth me jumping ship? Sorry for the questions. Any advice will be appreciated.

[Perfectlypurple]

The new police pension isn't great considering you pay 15% of your salary in and it is no longer final salary.

[Timeforabiscuit]

As far as I know the only final salary schemes are MPs and civil service.

Is there a chance of tupe?

[13greentomatoes]

Not sure, time. I think TUPE would be successful if I went to work for a different trust within the NHS, (I think a colleague of mine did that once), not sure if it applies if I join a different type of civil service employment iyswim?

Not well up on it tbh. Thanks for bringing that up, though.

[Timeforabiscuit]

You could transfer within the NHS and then I think as long as there is no break in service you'd be fine.

Good luck, its a stressful time.

[ThePinkOcelot]

Would there be jobs in other departments within your Trust?

Health records was disbanded in my Trust at the end of last year. A lot of the staff there got other jobs within the Trust. Some got HCA posts, ward clerks and reception in X-ray, cardio etc.

Don't think about necessarily jumping ship just yet.

[Eggsaregoodforyou]

I think your best bet would be to strongly request redeployment within your trust without a break in employment. What band are you on? Would you be flexible regarding your work?

[13greentomatoes]

ThePink. Other depts know what is happening to us and are clinging on to their jobs even more so. Health Records used to be seen as a safe job to be in, and everybody is frightened now that's not the case.

Can't blame them. Where can they put us, if there is nowhere for us to go?

Eggs, I'm band 2. There are so many of us awaiting our fate, so to speak, so when it comes to redeployment there'll be a mass scramble for what there is going. I am of the assumption that redeployment will be offered....

If not, I've only ever done Admin and Clerical, so the idea of re-training is a bit daunting.

Best off just waiting...

Thanks for your advice, all.

[13greentomatoes]

Hope my last post made sense ...

[13greentomatoes]

Sorry, I'll rephrase:

If there is any redeployment, not when.

And I'm not of the assumption redeployment will be offered...

[Petallic]

What about clinical coder? There seems to be quite a few trainee coder jobs being advertised in my local area and your existing knowledge and skills of the NHS and health records would be very useful and perhaps make the training feel a bit less daunting too?

[NewJobNewLife]

There are not many final salary pensions left anywhere.

The civil service still have final salary schemes, but not for new entrants. And existing civil servants that are on the final salary schemes will be moved off them in April 2015. So joining the civil service now will not get you a final salary scheme.

[honestpointofview]

Hi bit late but I am lawyer in Public service.

Starting at the top Police Pension is currently a final salary one but from April 15 it will change to a career average one.As newjob says the NHS is also moving from a final salary pension to a career average scheme. In other words it will be based upon the average of your salary over your career. Any earnings before April 15 will be paid as a pension based upon your final salary i think at the April 15 (but i would need to check).

TUPE would not apply that only applies when a service transfers or a business is sold. What happens in the NHS and in local government is that your continuous service transfers for certain purposes. In local government that is for redundancy pay, holidays, sick leave etc. Important note I do not think it does not apply between NHS and Police but i can check if that would help.

Finally just to say it is not accurate to say all public sector pensions are final salary but only for new joiners. Neither the Police, or Local Government, or the NHS locked out new joiners. Instead the Government is moving nearly all public sector pensions to a career average scheme.