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.

They made the choice to join the police. Don't blame others because you failed to plan for your future!!

That is a ridiculous thing about which to be jealous, honestly!

We all know the police are able to retire earlier than other professions, for very good reasons too.

Your cousin made a choice to be a police officer, not because of the early retirement benefits but presumably because he or she wanted to make a difference. It's a tough job.

You made a different choice, hopefully you have a career that you like, however there was nothing to stop you becoming, or at least applying to become, a police officer (not everyone gets through), had you wanted to.

What good does your resentment do for you? Such feelings eat away and are absolutely pointless, not to say nasty.

Who knows what will happen in the future, you could be made redundant. Be glad of what you have, the grass often looks greener on the other side.

Cousin has earned his early retirement.

I'm not working because of health issues. If I wasn't helping my DD with childcare and supporting another autistic adult DD, I'd be bored. There's got to be a point of retirement. My BIL (56) retired last year and he's aged in that time and spends a lot of time fussing about bins and the neighbours.

30 years of service is a fucking long time. Do you know that shift work has now been classified as a carcinogen? That working nights and shifts all your life increases your cancer risk and shortens it? There’s a reason the retirement was set at that.

I imagine it’s harder to still pass the bleep test at that age and chase after people if you’re a response officer still.

Totally!! Especially if you are maybe unhappy in work, bullied/unfairly treated, overworked - feel misled that the degree you were told was the be-all and end-all didn't end up being all that - and you get to a stage of your life where you are looking at 'regrets', missed chances, wrong decisions, etc etc.... That's all pretty normal!!

I'm envious of others who have been in a position to retire early, but I don't begrudge them either. It's only human nature to reflect on how different decisions taken in the past could have led you down another path. When you look back, so many things that have happened in your life did so on the literal turn of a coin, a decision that didn't feel that big a deal at the time, but had a huge influence on your life going forward.

That's the 'glass half empty' though. There's always been the good stuff - the children you might not have had, the friends you might not have met, the experiences you could have missed out on. It's not easy but all we can do is to focus on them.

I know, for me, I have had so much of micromanaging and a toxic work culture - it's totally fucking with my mental health and I just want out. I can't afford to just throw in the towel, but for me, I am looking at options.

Life isn't fair, not one bit, but for most of us, it could have been worse. Hang in there.

You could not pay me enough money to do that job. That pension is the very least they deserve.

This, you could have had what your cousin had, but you would have had to put up with this. Along with people you thought were friends dropping you once you joined, people hating you for no reason, and people judging you on the poor behaviour of 'bent coppers' despite the fact that your work is exemplary. Complaining the police are never there when you need them but also very quick to slate them when things go wrong and or doing some of the above, and the list goes on......

Not many can do a job like that, be treated like that, still want to do it and see it through to retirement, many will put up with that and actually rarely complain because sadly its part of the job. No degree in the world can get you through that, its either in you or its not. Good on them for seeing through a career like that, especially to those still doing a decent job and not being driven out by those coppers who behave appallingly and those that tar them with the same brush.

It's an often impossible job and a thankless job, all the best to your cousin, I hope they enjoy their retirement.

I can't comment on the police but I can tell you that in local authority roles you do not access your full pension until age 67. Yes you can take early retirement from age 55 but you lose quite a large percentage of your workplace pension if you do so .

Totally understand the feeling (I have family members who will get pretty decent pensions and are actually on reasonable pay).

But I always think about those who have to turn up when something truly horrific has happened, child murders, seeing footage of some fucking awful things. I imagine there are a fair few ex police who are literally haunted by the shit they have seen. We have a police officer in the family, called to riots etc where the police are an actual target. Can you imagine the worry?

I can't think of a worse job. Dealing with violent / aggressive adults sounds horrendous. Also, take into account the fact they're not paid that well in the scheme of things. The pension surely isn't enough to be travelling round the world.

My dad retired at 49 after 30 years in the fire service. He's paid off his mortgage znd he does whatever makes him happy all day

You know for those 30 years, he went into burning buildings, he climbed into road traffic accidents, he went into unstable buildings looking for casualties, he cut dead teenagers out of car wrecks, and he dealt with suicides, elderly people who burned to death in their beds, a very famous murdered child...the list goes on. He risked his life constantly and every day took a toll.
I'd rather work til I'm 70 than see some of the shit he's seen 😉 I'd never ever begrudge him or any other emergency worker their right to a peaceful retirement after everything they've done

I've got a Council job and will be retiring with you at 67. I have a final
salary linked pension - but it will pay less than half of my final salary. Do
some people think Final Salary means you get your whole final salary in pension? If only! I don't begrudge the police a penny, things they have to do.

I get it. I grew up in a military family and know many people that are/were in the military. A lot of them, including my dad, retired at 40/45 AND they are working full time jobs and getting full retirement. Many of them could live off just their retirement but decided to work for 10/15 more years so they can draw two retirement checks by the time they are 55/60.

I wish I'd gone into the military instead of going to college - it didn't get me anywhere. I still struggle financially and will have to work til I'm 70.

As the OP posted and immediately vanished, it's safe to say that this latest attempt to fly a reactionary kite has been temporarily abandoned by Conservative Central Office.

the police regularly get verbally and physically abused at work. They go out to try and keep us safer and put themselves at risk. Look up PC Harper if you’ve forgotten how badly it can turn out.
Not to mention the shift work that goes hand in hand with policing can have a negative impact on your health. I think they earn their pension.

Not police but have relatives who are, including who worked well past 55 and on deeply distressing child protection cases, he deserves every penny of his hard earned pension.

Wow.

You spent your younger years on benefits and yet begrudge those who work and pay towards a pension enjoying their retirement.

There seemsto be a lot of bashing for public sector workers getting this 'golden final salary pension'.
However I looked into it. In the private sector we get paid more. Especially in my industry.

So there must have been some dedication to work in the public sector and get almost 40% less salary for similar role and responsibilities.

Also the average public sector final salary is only about 6k as most people are working in lower paid jobs e.g care staff, hospital porters etc. Not everyone.e and a chief executive depsite what the daily mail tells you.

Also if they do take it early it is reduced alot.
So I don't begrudge them their pension.
OP have you not made you own arrangements?

• not everyone is a chief executive

🤣🤣

Wow @NoraBattysCurlers you have totally leapt to conclusions there. I'm embarrassed for you. I do not grudge anybody else their pension.

I'm just.. tired and wondering if I can carry on for 15 more years.

YABVU Op my husband is retired now. Joined when cadets were a thing so could retire at 48 with full pension and final payout.
He has seen the most horrendous things through his career. Missed the birth of our second child as he was investigating a 3 year old child’s murder by drugged parents. He was in bits when he got to see us.
A sample that he’s been subject to, shot at run over physical abuse hospitalised spat at urinated on by the dregs of society.
Didn’t retire at 30 yrs he was promoted which meant he was high ranking enough not to get called out after shift as often. Retired after 35 aged 53 where we have the best life together after all those years service.
Took him a while to adjust and is now settled into retirement with hobbies and time for all of us.
Our son was keen to join he is the same caring young man his dad is and he sat him down and told him things he had done and seen that he never did say to our children growing up. Explained what an officers family life had been whilst working.
How many Christmas’s has your mum done alone
How many NYE has your mum done alone
How many school plays sports days has your mum done alone
How many birthday parties has your mum done alone
How many sickness of you kids has mum done alone
How many nights has your mum bathed you kids alone
How many social occasions has your mum done alone
Our son did not join the police took another path and is doing well.
The list is endless he says I was parenting like a single mother to you both much of our marriage then.

So no I disagree with you op, he deserves his pension and payout I deserve him with me after what he has given to the public.

Do you really want police officers working into their sixties trying to chase down aggressive muggers, armed robbers etc? There are many jobs where people frequently retire in their 50s, jobs that are just too physically and mentally challenging for older people. I've had several Waitrose delivery drivers who are ex coppers btw.

Sorry all I’m getting from this post is that somehow you are better than other people because you have a degree so are owed more for a reason I doubt you could put into words.

Maybe that’s on you then? Maybe you going to college should have got you a far high paying job and you could have paid into your pension more?