Commons Sense

House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement

Police Pension Scheme: Opt-out Contingent Decisions

26 March 2026 · Home Office

Proposed by Sarah Jones Lab Croydon Central

Justice & CourtsStandards & Ethics

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

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At a glance

Key points

  • Police officers who opted out of their pension scheme due to discrimination will be allowed to buy back their opted-out service under special provisions in the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022.
  • Affected members will be able to join their correct legacy pension scheme through a buy-back of service from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022.
  • The government will correct this issue through a Statutory Instrument when parliamentary time is available.

Issue summary

The statement addresses an issue affecting police officers who opted out of their pension scheme due to discrimination, preventing them from rejoining their previous legacy scheme under the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022.

Action requested

The government will use special provisions in the Act to allow affected members to buy-back all opted-out service during the remedy period (1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022) retrospectively, enabling them to join their correct legacy scheme. This will be corrected through a Statutory Instrument as parliamentary time allows.

Key facts

  • The Court of Appeal found unlawful discrimination in judicial and firefighters’ pension schemes (McCloud and Sargeant cases) in December 2018.
  • Governing legislation: Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022.
  • Affected members can choose between legacy or reformed pension benefits from April 2015 to March 2022.
  • Police officers who opted out due to discrimination face a barrier in rejoining the 1987 police pension scheme under the Act.
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