Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the status of the Police Pension Scheme changes are as of 21 June 2022; and whether the Pensions Ombudsman has been involved in that process.

The Government is taking steps to remove discrimination on the grounds of age. This is associated with the transitional protection arrangements and linked to the 2015 pension reforms, which was identified by the courts.

Since 1 April 2022, all police officers who continue in service do so as members of the 2015 police pension scheme. The Government is undertaking work to enable eligible pension scheme members to choose, at retirement, to receive legacy pension scheme benefits or benefits equivalent to those available under the 2015 pension scheme for service between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022. The Government intends that the provisions for this deferred choice underpin will be implemented by 1 October 2023.

The Pensions Ombudsman has been regularly updated on the development of the Government plans to remedy the identified age discrimination. The Pensions Ombudsman has not considered the case of any particular individuals affected as this would not be appropriate while the issue is the subject of legal proceedings before the Employment Tribunal.