Conditions of Service and Discipline Branch Column

0 Photo

Question: "I am a police officer under the New Pension Scheme (new terms). I've heard from some of my colleagues that for pension purposes I am entitled to an enhancement to my length of service. Is this true? I've served for 32 years and 10 months. How many months could be added to my length of service?"

Answer: According to the Pension Benefits Regulation, the normal retirement age for New Pension Scheme officers is 60. Police officers are however required to retire at the age of 55 (57 for the rank of Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police or above). As a result, for every full year of service such officers complete, an enhancement of 1.25 months (in the case of retirement at 55) or 0.75 months (in the case of retirement at 57) would be added to their length of service, as a "Deemed Increase in Service".

In this case where the officer has served for 32 years and 10 months at his retirement age of 55, a period of 40 months (32 x 1.25 = 40) would be added to his length of service, thus raising the pensionable service to 434 months (32 x 12 + 10 + 40 = 434). Officers who retire before the age of 55 will not receive this enhancement.

The "Deemed Increase in Service" does not apply to old pension scheme officers as the normal retirement age for all civil servants is 55. In addition, after adding the "Deemed Increase in Service", the aggregate pensionable service of new pension scheme officers cannot exceed 450 months, i.e. maximum pensionable status.