For a wrongdoer to be undetected is difficult; and for him to have confidence that his concealment will continue is impossible
― Epicurus
There has been so much going on. It’s hard to know where to start. IODPA has grown in a very short space of time from its beginnings of a handful of IOD pensioners to its proud status as a registered national charity.
Membership of IODPA is growing apace. Every force in England and Wales is now represented, and we also are honoured to have members from Northern Ireland and Scotland. Our members bring with them a wealth of knowledge, experience and skills which all add to the collective strength and capabilities of IODPA.
We thought it was timely to mention, and to celebrate, some of our successes over recent months. Uniquely, IODPA gets it strength from the efforts of determined individuals who stand up to maladministration of injury pensions in whatever forms it takes. We are not a top-down organisation. The strength and success of IODPA comes from its members, and from its supporters.
So let’s see what’s been happening.
Let’s start with our members. Every time a new member joins we get to hear their account of wrongdoing by injury pension scheme managers. It
saddens us to hear so many pitiful stories of the harm done to disabled former officers by uncaring HR managers, by SMPs, by police pension
authorities who view the police injury pension Regulations as a tool to save money and by some police and crime commissioners who do not want to
know the bad news about wrong doing by senior officers and others.
Happily, IODPA is shining a light of ever increasing brilliance into the murky corners of those HR departments who deliberately abuse the
Regulations. We are watching, we are listening and we will ensure compliance with the Regulations and current caselaw. IODPA spreads
knowledge, and knowledge is power. We empower our members to stand up for their rights. By exposing wrongdoing we empower right minded HR
managers to conduct themselves within the law.
Our members are living proof of the old adage that in unity there is strength.
What then of our supporters? We have recently announced we have our first Patron. None other than Pete Conway has kindly agreed to be a
Patron of IODPA. Pete Conway is the stage name of Peter Williams, who describes himself as, ‘Veteran Entertainer, Sports nut and father of a
famous son.’ and is none other than the father of the World-famous singer Robbie Williams.
As one of the roles of a Patron is to raise public awareness of the charity they support, we are confident that Pete will bring IODPA to the
attention of a wider audience beyond former and serving police officers and their families.
Elsewhere, we know that NARPO has consistently done what it could to support disabled former officers, so we are delighted to reveal that Brian Burdus, President of NARPO, together with Vice President Richard Critchley, CEO Steve Edwards and Deputy CEO Alan Lees met with trustees of IODPA in Wakefield recently. Brian has written in the NARPO magazine that there was, “…agreement that the work they [IODPA] did was a useful source for members to use.” Branch secretaries have been advised of the NARPO recognition of the valuable work we do for former officers who were injured and disabled in the line of duty.
It was a pleasure for our trustees to meet with the Brian, Richard, Steve and Alan, and we thank them for their generous welcome. IODPA will continue to work together with NARPO at local and national level, which can only be good news for all IOD pensioners.
We ought to elaborate here on the valuable work IODPA does. We provide general and personalised advice and support for all our members.
We help former and serving officers to understand the Regulations which govern injury awards, and thus help them protect their rights against
the widespread and persistent maladministration which has poisoned what is intended to be a benevolent provision of lifelong compensation for
disabled former officers.
Beyond advice, we are empowered by having a very close working relationship with two excellent firms of solicitors. We know that all
too often forces can be remarkably stubborn. They often have a pathological antipathy to admitting mistakes, and sometimes the only way
to ensure they apply the Regulations lawfully is to challenge them in court. Haven Solicitors and Cartwright King together have the most
expert and profound understanding of the Regulations, and all associated law, and know exactly how to deal with SMP’s and police pension
authorities’ misdeeds.
We also are happy to have a more recent but equally successful association with Equal Justice, which specialises in Employment Tribunal cases.
Our solicitors instruct David Lock, QC of Landmark Chambers. David has developed a special interest and expertise in all aspects of police
injury pensions and is responsible for bringing about successful resolutions in a string of cases, all of which have greatly enhanced
understanding of how the Regulations should be applied. His successes have exposed the chronic failures of some police pension authorities and
we thank him for that and for the most helpful informative opinion pieces he has published on line. We only hope that good-hearted and
well-intentioned HR people take note and join with us in condemning those of their colleagues who would seek to abuse the Regulations.
Indeed, raising awareness is a constant theme of IODPA’s work. We have a ready audience of IOD pensioners who are growing daily more alert
to the sad fact that many HR departments have poorly trained staff, who are under pressure to produce results, often by methods which are at
best dubious and at worst downright unlawful. We aim to be a counter voice to those who whisper in the ears of HR employees and others. We
speak the truth. We expose those whose motivation is contrary to the intentions of the Regulations. We explain the rules. In so doing we aim
to encourage decent folk to resist all pressure to act in ways which demean their integrity.
That leads us seamlessly on to mention the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It is readily apparent that some forces have played fast and loose with the personal information they hold which refers to former officers. We have heard of multiple instances where information has been accessed, ‘processed’ in the language of the data protection legislation, without the consent or knowledge of the data subject. We have also been most concerned to see repeated instances of forces using very dubious practices, including threats, in attempts to compel disabled former officers into giving access to sensitive personal information, such as details of income, employment, and health.
We are pleased to see the GDPR, which came into effect on the 25th May, very much tightens up the way organisations safeguard and process personal information. We anticipate IOD pensioners will use the GDPR to check how their personal data is held, to prevent any unlawful use of it, and to put a firm stop to all unlawful attempts to obtain information which forces or police pension authorities have no entitlement to seek.
IODPA has arranged a special two day seminar during which we will learn from experts how the GDPR can be used to help further the
effectiveness of our charitable work.
As part of IODPA’s ongoing work to inform, educate and share we have held several well attended conferences and workshops in various
locations across the country. We recently held our first meeting in Northumbria and are planning another one shortly, where IODPA will be
assisting all injury on duty pensioners who want to learn how to protect their rights.
In conjunction with NARPO, we achieved a major about-turn from one police pension authority which had sent out notices to pensioners that
their degree of disablement was to be reviewed. The author of the letter had tried to claim that failure to complete an enclosed questionnaire
was covered by the Regulations, and that any such failure would allow the police pension authority to reduce the pension down to band one.
When confronted over this flagrant abuse of the Regulations, the Chief Constable had no option other than to offer an apology and arrange
withdrawal of the review notices and questionnaires.
We are awaiting the next move from this particular force.
And on that note, we end this brief catch up with a word of thanks and praise to those who are perhaps the silent invisible
supporters of all that IODPA stands for – the decent right minded HR managers and others who are prepared to work to ensure the police
pension regulations are applied honestly and fairly.
I am a survivor, thanks to IODPA, who came quickly to my aid when my force, suddenly started reviews again after years of inaction. We thought an agreement signed by them, Narpo and the Police Fed was binding, (it had been for nearly 10 years), but with a new Chief Constable, who came from a force who immediately stopped reviews after he left, it was not doubt all pre-planned.
Initially, only a few of us banded together, desperate to find ways to challenge the improper way these reviews are being implemented. We have no grouse with reviews done properly, but these are blanket reviews, dressed up as individual cases and with them come subversive tactics to get around the Regs.
However, nature has a strange way of levelling things. These dubious reviews has seen IODPA membership swell in this force area and a re-creation of the police family, we thought we had lost. Membership grows daily and with it the knowledge base spreads, bringing more and more IOD pensioners to our ranks.
I’m sure that this is the very opposite of what our former employer wanted, as uninformed, loyal former officers are easy targets, for saving money, as it is without doubt, the main reason for the reviews. It maybe dressed up as a ‘duty’, given the red herring of pensions being increased, but the reality is that not one has seen an increase, whereas many, who we failed to contact early enough, have seen reductions. In those cases, we try to help with the stressful process of appeal.
Thank you IODPA, you have not only saved my IOD pension, but also those of a growing number of our members from unscrupulous forces, who have lost any empathy with former officers, are not interested in our welfare, or wellbeing and are only focussed on saving money at any cost.
IODPA is a fantastic charity formed out of necessity to defend injured former police officers against the unlawful and bullying methods employed by some Police Forces in a ruthless effort to reduce their pension budgets.
Without the incredible dedicated hard work of the founders and many other tenacious and talented members to whom we owe a huge debt, we would all have been callously picked off, one after the other without care or compassion or fair and proper application of the Police Injury Regulations.
To anyone who is a retired injured former police officer you will find that you are not alone, not at all.
IODPA is a fantastic charity who’s focus is to offer Injured Former Police Officers the care and support when they need it most.
Thank you IODPA for being there for me when I needed help the most and didn’t know where to turn.
I was fortunate enough to latch on to IODPA in its infancy when it only amounted to a handful. I have seen it grow and emerge into the force for good that it is today. I enjoy the many victories and this has been down to the well organised and committed attitude of the staff, members and those who assist. Today I have no doubt that all Force HR departments are well aware of our organisation, and you would hope at the very least this causes them to be extremely cautious when dealing with our members. Well done and keep up the great work.
IODPA supported me immensely and essentially took a leading role in assisting with the appropriate responses and draft letters to my ‘former employers’. The recommendation of and the subsequent actions of the Legal Team was first class and totally robust ! I have a current background in Legal work but the knowledge and expertise provided by the Team was a joy to behold. Because of the sterling work, the result (of the Judicial Review) seemed a foregone conclusion and also left me without the worry and impending threat that it would rear its ugly head once again.
All those former colleagues who are sat at home pondering, nay worrying, over the seemingly threatening correspondence from their ‘Employers’, should consult the IODPA forthwith. Best thing you will ever do !!
It goes to show the growing force of the IODPA, from those early meetings in a Somerset pub to what it has grown into, the number of IOD Pensioners it supports and represents. The forces that it has taken on and held to account. It’s a true force to be reckoned with, absolutely fantastic.
The team are doing an excellent job, advising and proving support for those iod . Unless you have been through the trauma of injury you never appreciate the problems presented. Long may you continue ! Thank you .
Thank you IODPA for the support you give. It’s not just the visible help, but the family that has been created that no longer means we feel isolated. We see Police Officers regularly on the news being killed or injured in the line of duty all over the Country. Is it really asking too much for these officers and their families to be supported ethically, lawfully and by someone who actually cares who does not have a budget sheet obscuring their view of reality?
Having served proudly as a Police officer for many years in a job that I loved, I still find it difficult to get my head round the fact that the senior staff that I would have once stood ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with are now happy to turn on me/us in the name of cash saving. I can understand they have to make decisions that are unpopular, but it is the pure aggression and devious nature of all these actions that are devastating not only IODs lives, mental well-being etc but that also of so many associationed, by this I mean long suffering wives and family who live this through the IODs and are unable to draw a line under the injury and organise there financial future as you are in constant fear of the dreaded call to review which has the potential every time to completely change the course of your life and financial security. This is mental cruelty and to some degree is always in your mind. The Police forces were and are quite happy to take the pension contributions with a smile but as soon as something happens it seems you are out and on your own. The good news is that this is no longer the case thanks to continued support from IODPA, its non judgmental members and the excellent specialist legal advice available. As a footnote…if this is how older IODs are treated years on I fear for the futures of our serving colleagues many of which are family who go out daily giving 100% oblivious and misguided as to the future should the worst happen. I for one consider it a duty to spread the word to ensure that they also can be given the support I have had from IODPA.
I am actually quite sad that IODPA is required. We should not have to have another website to “fight” our corner. There should be no need for such a charity to even exist. BUT thanks goodness it does ! Every police force in England should be ashamed that IODPA actually is needed. If we, retired and injured coppers got the proper support required and promised, I would not be putting this comment now ! Disgusted that a small group of injured on duty police officers have to rely on other like minded people. IT SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED ! But it is, and it works.
IODPA has uncovered only the footprint in the sand of what will surely prove to be a trail leading back to years of maladministration by forces. How many injury on duty pensioners have been royally screwed over by unscrupulous SMPs? How many have been craftily put on a pension payment banding just one step lower than their disablement deserves?
Thanks IODPA for all of your support and advice over the short period I have been a member.i check for posts several times everyday and rely greatly from colleagues posts and advice
Thanks to all members and especially administrators who keep everything together and steer us in the right direction after we go off on our frustrated rants
A great year thanks
Col
Another good and informative blog that keeps us up to date in the world of IODPA.
The charity has gone from strength to strength and works well alongside Narpo.
There is no competition there as IODPA is purely for injured cops. Narpo are excellent in the support they give to all pensioners.
Horses for courses.
You have kept your heads down and kept slowly plodding on. Credit is due to you.
You will only ever get stronger as your charity continues to grow.
IODPA have been my pillar of support since being IHR, to be able to contact people going through the same or similar to me is very comforting. Regardless of the force/s concerned there is a common thread. When my own Police Federation refused to help me further IODPA, along with an other IODPA member, have been my rock to cling to and have provided me with excellent support and legal contacts which I am truly grateful for. It is wonderful to see the relationship and support growing with NARPO, the continuous successful hearings, and the excellent legal links IODPA have. The support from members and the never ending work the trustees put in can not be praised enough. All credit to the trustees for their excellent support. Wonderful site/charity with support and care at every turn, thank you just doesn’t seem enough.
I have an ongoing personal battle with SMP re IOD injury award.
I have not received any representation in order to fight my corner after nearly being killed in the line of duty.
Is there anyone I could liaise with from IODPA that would provide advice.
Regards,
Peter McGinn
Of course Peter, please email us at admin@iodpa.org or use the contact form found here – https://iodpa.org/contact/
Please provide us with a little more detail, all information passed is in the strictest of confidence.
Look forward to hearing from you.
All the very best Peter, if there is a case to answer, IODPA will give you all the support you need.
That aside, never really know what to say with these things, huge ‘thank yous’ never seem to be enough, Knights in shining armour, and those who took the first steps to form IODPA, I can only say I have the utmost respect for you, your bravery, tenacity and sheer doggedness in fighting for what’s fair is something we all owe you a great debt of gratitude for, all the very very best in the future.
Peter
Been through the system and won. Keep fighting mate for what you are entitled to. Never give up.
I had the support of the Federation and had to go to appeal to win my award and pension. IODPA will support where the Federation won’t but what ever you do don’t give up. Good luck.
Excellent news to read about IODPA and NARPO HQ. I have been a member of NARPO for many years now and have always praised them for their work. To read Mr Burdus’ comments in the last NARPO magazine was reassuring to me. To know these two organisations can work together for the greater good is just amazing. Well done NARPO and well done IODPA!
Brilliant to have you guys around. As previously said, it’s a shame you even have to exist. I will always be grateful to those who started this organisation. Who would have thought you would grown into a valued charity by its members?
I felt isolated and so alone before I took the bull by it’s horns and emailed you. Now I have friends all around the country, all looking out for me, all really supportive. There is no judging.
Just a quiet resolve that things need to be done properly and lawfully right. Just like when we were police officers. Always within the law. Not such a hard thing to do really is it?
Keep going IODPA, you really are shining stars.
It was a big enough shock for me, personally, to discover that a Police Force can make mistakes. That was a good few years ago and was in relation to my IOD pension. Had I not been told I was to be reviewed I would never have known and would have remained struggling financially after being injured in a job I had loved, through no fault of my own, and just ‘cast out’ to manage on my own.
Then there came HO 46/2004 where, suddenly, every IOD pensioner reaching age 65 was ‘busted’ down to Band 1. That’s when it became known that a new policy had been created to reduce as many IOD pensions as possible to save money. That battle was fought and revealed to be unlawful and was put right. Unfortunately new ‘schemes’ have been dreamed up by some Police Forces to save money in any other way possible by decreasing IOD pensions.
One of the drawbacks of being an IOD pensioner is that there was no existing organisation totally devoted to giving advice and information regarding IOD pensions. Narpo would furnish a link to a copy of the 1987 Police Injury Pensions Regulations and some small explanation but that was as far as it went. No assistance to put things right. There was nothing to link IOD pensioners to each other and no clues about being able to request Federation assistance to fight ones corner. Nobody had any way to contact IOD pensioners except when Reviews had become the big thing. Then the Police Forces could contact each and every one with the expectancy of reducing the IOD pensions.
One Force, Avon and Somerset went too far and that is how IODPA became first created. A small group of A&S IOD pensioners decided to fight the force over the wrong they were doing and word got around and all of a sudden more and more IOD Pensioners were finding out the truth.
Now what we are seeing is that IODPA is growing, proving to be a strongly led, well armed, knowledgeable and with extremely competent and able legal representation who are seeing off any unlawful attempts, maladministration, bullying and harassment from whichever Forces are stupid enough to be determined in their efforts and are simply failing to see that, instead of saving money by nibbling away constantly at IOD pensions, they are having to pay out hundreds of thousands of £’s in legal fees by trying to persist in their wrongful determination to win! It will never happen!
What these nasty Forces have actually done is to cause an organisation, the wonderful IODPA, to be created that now joins any and all IOD pensioners together! Any and all information about any and all wrongdoings by Forces against IOD Pensioners is now in front of us all and we are all ready, willing and able to confront it all as it comes along, It will be fought and WON!!!! LONG LIVE IODPA!!
Recently spoke to a serving officer who plans on retiring with 28 years service. He is currently on restricted duties following an assault and will be until he retires. He is permanently disabled. I mentioned to him about the possibility of applying for an ill health and or injury award. Apparently his inspector had said he would not be able to retire on his chosen date if he applied for an injury award/pension. Keep up the good work of highlighting what officers are entitled to following injuries as it’s the only way to raise awareness, there is so much misinformation about.
It’s a sad state of affairs that a charity organisation such as IODPA has to actually exist at all to protect former police officers who were injured on duty and lost their jobs. Many are so badly injured that they are unable to undertake work of any kind. What a travesty then that their former Police Forces try such bullying and unlawful attempts to reduce their injury pensions to save money. It’s an absolute disgrace.
My sincere thanks go to IODPA for their relentless hard work in helping such vulnerable people.
We all owe a debt of gratitude for the excellent knowledge and support which IODPA provides to its members. All anyone wants is to be treated in accordance with Regulations, the law of the land.
PPA’s, HR staff and SMP’s all need to take note that if they try to operate outside of the law, then they will be brought to book.
IODPA, “all for one and one for all”.
It is good to see that slowly we are having an effect on the dishonest and unlawful tactics used by some HR managers, their legal advisers, and the PPA’s as well. Well done to IODPA – and thank you for your help to Vulnerable ex and serving Police Officers so far. Onwards and upwards!!!
Lets keep fighting these unscrupulous individuals who would never make it in the Police front line, but are happy to stab us in the back!!
You’re doing an excellent job, thank you. As we served protecting the public, it’s great to see that you have our backs! Long may your backup continue.