2006 Fire Scheme - Information on your membership for deferred members

The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 2006 was a Defined Benefit Pension Scheme. The Scheme is no longer open to new firefighters and it is not possible to transfer other pension rights into the Scheme. To be a member of the Scheme you must have joined before 1 April 2015.

If you left the 2006 scheme, either to enter into another employment or because you opted out of the scheme, you are entitled to a deferred pension. Entitlement to a deferred pension depends upon having accrued more than two years’ service, or if less, have had a transfer of personal pension rights into the 2006 scheme. A deferred pension comes into effect when a leaver has sufficient service to qualify for a pension but is not eligible for immediate payment as they are not old enough or not retiring on grounds of ill-health.

A deferred pension is calculated by assessing the 'what if' pension you would have received if your pensionable service had continued to normal pension age. Then this is ‘pro rated’ according to the period actually served.

If you were a retained firefighter between 1 July 2000 and 6 April 2006, then the modified scheme may apply to you. 

The exclusion of retained firefighters from the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 1992 was challenged under the Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favorable Treatment) Regulations 2000. As a result a settlement was reached allowing retained firefighters, with service between 1 July 2000 and 6 April 2006, to have “special” membership of Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 2006 based on their employment during this time period.

If you left the 2006 Special scheme, either to enter into another employment or because you opted out of the scheme, you are entitled to a deferred pension. Entitlement to a deferred pension depends upon having accrued more than two years’ service, or if less, have had a transfer of personal pension rights into the 2006 scheme. A deferred pension comes into effect when a leaver has sufficient service to qualify for a pension but is not eligible for immediate payment as they are not old enough or not retiring on grounds of ill-health.

A deferred pension is calculated by assessing the 'what if' pension you would have received if your pensionable service had continued to normal pension age. Then this is ‘pro rated’ according to the period actually served.

As an alternative to a deferred pension, upon leaving the 2006 Scheme, you could request that your pension rights be transferred to another pension arrangement.

If you leave your employment with the Fire & Rescue Service and transfer to another Fire Authority, provided there is no break in service between employments, you would become a member of the 2015 Scheme.

However, if you leave to take up employment as a firefighter in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, a transfer payment would be paid because different funding arrangements apply.

Transfers are restricted from unfunded Public Service Pension Schemes to schemes from which members are able to access their benefits flexibly

You can find out more about pension liberation on The Pensions Regulator website

Your Annual Benefits Statement is a yearly statement detailing the value of your pension benefits at 31 March each year. This is an important document which allows you to see how your pension is growing each year.

Your 2018 statement, for membership to 31 March 2018, will be issued to you by post by 31 August 2018.

We also provide you with a comprehensive explanation of your 2018 Annual Benefits Statement for the Firefighters’ pension schemes for both the Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire Fire Pension schemes, which can be found on our Forms and Resources page.