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Original poster

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

196 replies

Neapolitanicecream · 25/04/2023 18:22

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.

OP posts:
Doversole7 · 25/04/2023 20:36

If you earn enough and save enough you can retire at a similar age. If you don’t you can’t blame anyone but yourself unfortunately.

KitKatLove · 25/04/2023 20:39

Join up, bet you wouldn’t last a year.

ReadersD1gest · 25/04/2023 20:41

Neapolitanicecream · 25/04/2023 18:22

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.

So why didn't you? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sallyh87 · 25/04/2023 20:42

Well I just work at the local council which is clearly quite low in your estimation. I have a degree and a masters as do most of my colleagues, work bloody hard and also on my pay band put around 10% into my pension (much more than the average private sector). Happy for your Cousin, given he is retiring at 55 means he is probably doing so on ill health grounds. I hope he enjoys his retirement.

Fuerza · 25/04/2023 20:43

I hear you. The first time I had the shock that people my age were able to afford this was at a 30 year reunion. I was feeling able to face them all because I finally had a job (after years of being a lone parent, on benefits, then I had a pt job, was feeling so proud of myself for getting back in to the work place full time, proper job. And then, my school peers were talking about retiring at 50, or buying a villa in Spain to escape the Irish winters. I will be working til 67. Hang on, do they give you the pension the day you turn 67 or do you have to work every day you're 67 until you're not 67 and you get it when you turn 68. I need to look in to this! It matters.

Fuerza · 25/04/2023 20:47

I don't grudge police their pensions though, I just mean, it'd be nice to retire without worrying about money while still young enough to enjoy the free time.

Urghfedup · 25/04/2023 20:49

I believe some profession should have earlier retirement than others. I’m a now ex nurse who isn’t even 40 yet, I have arthritis in both thumbs from bandaging, frozen shoulder and slipped disc from rolling obese patients. My mental health is completely fucked from years of bullying, watching tragic death in the pandemic and out of the pandemic. It’s all well and good saying well you knew what you were getting into but at 18 I had no idea that there would be an obesity crisis or a pandemic because I’m not mystic Meg.

Poopoolittlekitten · 25/04/2023 20:52

What the point? Would you have wanted 30 years in that job? Have a mate also just retired as a cop, nowt about that life I would have wanted. Talk about scarred.

user1471556818 · 25/04/2023 21:00

Don't carry the Weight of envy it won't change their retirement but can affect your life
I'm one of the early retirees started in NHS at 18 and retired at 57
I'm lucky to be able to have done so but have knackered shoulders ,neck and back
And I'll gloss over the severe mental health.impact it had on me
No hoists when I started let alone fancy beds chairs etc literally carried people from bed to chair
Luckily this has all changed but for folks my age the damage was done
Hope you are OK

caringcarer · 25/04/2023 21:06

The Police risk their lives to keep us safe. They are constantly having to deal with criminals and delinquents. I would hate to do that job. I remember one of the people at the Manchester terrorism attack saying they were all trying to run away and the Police had to run towards the terrorist.

allmyliesaretrue · 25/04/2023 21:08

Fuerza · 25/04/2023 20:43

I hear you. The first time I had the shock that people my age were able to afford this was at a 30 year reunion. I was feeling able to face them all because I finally had a job (after years of being a lone parent, on benefits, then I had a pt job, was feeling so proud of myself for getting back in to the work place full time, proper job. And then, my school peers were talking about retiring at 50, or buying a villa in Spain to escape the Irish winters. I will be working til 67. Hang on, do they give you the pension the day you turn 67 or do you have to work every day you're 67 until you're not 67 and you get it when you turn 68. I need to look in to this! It matters.

I get it too. I've sat for years watching colleagues exit on voluntary severance, pension paid from 55+, and redundancy pay = 2.5 years' salary. What did I do wrong you might ask? Ah, I was born too late. And then I moved at the wrong time. Some of the laziest, most useless arses with sick records as long as your arm got 'rewarded' for it all in the end. Not easy not to feel a little bitter.

Colleague (same age as me) recently achieved 40 years' service in our organisation. Well for them. Had a couple of CSEs. Right place, right time. Me - I was half way through uni when they started. Never mind when I worked in various private sector bodies, took another year's FT course, became professionally qualified, and joined 9 years after they did, so that my pensionable service is now 31 years.

Now I wouldn't change my life but this does make you wonder....

@Fuerza I'm pretty sure you get it at 67. So long as they don't try to move the goalposts again in the meantime. There's no way I can work to 67!! When I went to work first, I would have expected to have already started drawing a state and private pension.

I guess a lot of the more scathing comments are from posters who aren't near retirement. You just get to the stage where you have had ENOUGH.

Georgi5 · 25/04/2023 21:09

Swings and roundabouts ain’t it. My dads friend used to tell us about picking bodies off railway lines.

Luredbyapomegranate · 25/04/2023 21:09

They did have to work in the police for 30 years though. Enough to buy a BnB in the midlands isn’t going to get you that time back.

StressedToTheMaxxx · 25/04/2023 21:10

Good for them I say. They deserve it after all the shit they've put up with over their working careers.

Knickerthief1 · 25/04/2023 21:16

Can I suggest that you get some financial advice and see what you need to do to be able to retire earlier. Unless you've paid no pension at all through your working life then you will still have a pension pot.

Knickerthief1 · 25/04/2023 21:18

Also the government has plans to set the state retirement age back to 68 soon. I think it's time we took a leaf from the French and stopped this slow chipping away of our pensions.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 25/04/2023 21:18

Friend of mine retired from the police at 50. She's a couple of years older than me. I've never had anything but admiration for what she did, and certainly not envy. She joined as young as she could, and worked extremely hard in some awful situations.

FluffyTrousers · 25/04/2023 21:19

55? That's old. I retired at 51 after 30 years in the police force.
The current pension scheme isn't as good as the one I had, so if you join now, OP, you might not get as good a deal.

SchoolShenanigans · 25/04/2023 21:30

  1. YANBU to feel jealous. It's a normal human reaction to a feeling of injustice. The next generation will likely feel jealous of us!

  2. life isn't fair. In any shape or form. There are people much worse off than you. With disabilities and other life difficulties.

  3. I think you're a bit disrespectful towards the police and council workers. As if they're easy jobs? They're thankless (except historic final salary pensions!).

allmyliesaretrue · 25/04/2023 21:31

Knickerthief1 · 25/04/2023 21:18

Also the government has plans to set the state retirement age back to 68 soon. I think it's time we took a leaf from the French and stopped this slow chipping away of our pensions.

Hear hear. We have just rolled over, played dead and eroded the few years of freedom and independence any of us who've worked all of our lives are ever going to enjoy (health permitting, too).

anniegun · 25/04/2023 21:32

I know quite a few investment bankers who "retired" in their 40s. They have far bigger pensions than policemen

allmyliesaretrue · 25/04/2023 21:33

anniegun · 25/04/2023 21:32

I know quite a few investment bankers who "retired" in their 40s. They have far bigger pensions than policemen

I know of at least one pharmacist who sold the family business and retired in their 40s - and keep a 'hand in' by continuing to work a couple of days a week, as a hobby!!

poundshoptealights · 25/04/2023 21:35

I am glad that our police men and women are rewarded - at least in this way - for the work they do. It is a bloody tough career and they do it so the rest of us are safe.

Thesharkradar · 25/04/2023 21:35

It's a normal human reaction to a feeling of injustice
I think it's important to remember this☝
These are normal emotions, we shouldn't attack people for experiencing them. Instead we should examine them, look at ways to mitigate, to resolve, to feel better about things

Cosyblankets · 25/04/2023 21:36

What is your job?