Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to accelerate the processing of pensions claims made by retired firefighters in Yeovil constituency.

While the government has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the firefighters’ pension scheme regulations, the firefighters’ pension scheme is locally administered by each individual Fire and Rescue Authority.

As the designated scheme manager, it is for each Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) to determine their administrative timetable, including for the McCloud/Sargeant remedy, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 (PSPJOA), including when remedy payments will be distributed.

The Government has been working, and will continue to work, with the fire sector and Local Government Association to support and remind FRAs of their duty under the PSPJOA for all affected individuals.