I’m jealous that my cousin retired at 55 on a police final salary pension scheme

[Neapolitanicecream]

Just that really. I’m jealous of everyone that has retired on a police final salary scheme from 55 years and I have to work till 67 and not sure what I will get.

I just wish I hadn’t bothered with my degree and never earned much over average. I’d have been much better off joining the force or even a council job apperently.

As someone who has worked along officers and seen them get spat on, hit and sworn at regularly, telling loved ones their family member has died, helping to retrieve bodies, all sorts everyday - you make it sound very easy.

Were you ever jealous of them facing challenging or dangerous situations duing their working life?

Well you could have put more into your pension and retired at 55 too?

What's the point? The only person hurt by your being jealous is you. You have your life and he has his, if you don't like yours then make steps to change it because his won't change because you feel the way you do.

Retire then

I think the police deserve every penny. I'd hate to do their job!

You are being ridiculous

NHS used to be able to take theirs at 55 too. Does that bother you ?

My police friend worked in child protection. It scarred them so much they never had children, and yes, retired 10 years ago, but have no children or grandchildren to keep them company. So, all swings and roundabouts. They probably still have nightmares over the photos and videos burnt into their brain

I'd love a defined benefit pension too but enjoy my job in the private sector so it's probably not going to happen, I suppose I could say I'm a bit jealous when I see people retiring young with a good pension but it's the decision I made...

Do you not have a private pension at all?

You do realise that Police and council staff pay into their own pensions? Police officers pay something like 10% as the minimum contribution. For the LGPS it's 6%. Very few council workers are retiring on full pensions at 55 I can assure you!

Presumably you could have chosen to go into a job with those pension T&Cs?

Two threads by two different users on two different boards about the same thing just minutes apart....

Be annoyed about the likes of Michelle Moone and others taking money, than police officers.

For some perspective....the pay isn't great, the hours aren't conducive to family life, the work conditions can be dismal and sometimes dangerous, usually higher rates of divorce, suicide and alcoholism...

But other than that's it's great!

You said it yourself, you should of joined if you wanted a police final salary pension.

Good job he wasn't military, my husband was eligible for his after 22 years at age 40.

He stayed in longer but thst just increased his pension

I'd hate to spend my life working for the police, that's his reward.

Totally unreasonable OP. An office job can't be compared to someone dealing day in, day out with our society's worst people and running all sorts of personal risks doing so.

Quite right that he should be entitled to a long and cushy retirement after doing what, 35 odd years or so?

I've got a council job and I will be retiring this year at 66. So get your facts right.

Maybe you should have joined the police?

Exactly what Mone and the like want, us fighting over scraps while they are laughing all the way to the bank!

I am SO glad that I have never had to do shift work, deal with the worst of our society, face danger, violence, work in a strictly hierarchical structure, have the public pontificate (at best) or spit bile about how I ought to do my job...and also not earn a massive amount for doing all this.

The police and emergency services are welcome to their pensions and I am happy that my taxes over the years (paltry as my tax status has generally been) give them a fair pension.

Nope. Think the police absolutely deserve this. Most of them start out very young. And they partly benefit from being forced to make pension contributions from Day 1. I value the police force (overall - slight qualms about the London met) - it's not a job I'd relish with danger, shift work etc and I don't begrudge them the chance to move on.
Give your head a wobble. I get where you're coming from though.

Nurse here who also went to Uni. I've just taken flexi retirement and claimed my final salary pension with the NHS. Still have to work 1-2 days a week as it's not amazing despite almost 35 years contributions. I've also ended up with prolapsed discs, high blood pressure and anxiety issues because of the stress of the job. Oh and long covid too.
There's a reason our pension is somewhat better. Looking back I'd rather have had a less physically and emotionally challenging job.p so be careful what you wish for.

My 54 year old colleague in the nhs will be retiring in a few months time - he gets a special mental health dispensation that I don’t fully understand.

Despite working in the nhs since I was 21 (now 46) I will need to keep working until I’m 67.

I am a little jealous, but it’s not their fault and apart from saving harder into my pension which I hope to do once the mortgage is paid off, I have to accept that employment contracts change.

I wouldn’t want to work in the police force.

I actually really wanted to join the police at 18. If I had I’d be retired on finally salary pension by now.

I let myself be talked out of it by family who said it was a dead end job and because I had the grades to go to uni I needed to get a degree.

regretting it now as by the time I’d done under and post grad I didn’t start working until 27 so am 10 years behind on a pension. I’m also on a lower salary than a police officer would be.

downside to education nobody thinks of.

They deserve it, dealing with the dregs of society.
Sounds like u chose what u thought would be an easy life and are now moaning.