On 2nd October 2019, we published a news item regarding concerns over substantial underpayments of ill-health pensions by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (‘PSNI’).
You can read the original article here – https://iodpa.org/2019/10/02/possible-pension-miscalculations-in-psni/
In summary, a number of officers who had joined under the Police Pension Scheme 1988 (‘PPS 1988’), and retired under the Police Pension Scheme 2015 (‘PPS 2015’) thought that their pensions appeared on the low side.
After making contact with us, we recalculated their pensions, which PSNI subsequently confirmed were closer to their true value. We understand that two officers alone had back payments in the region of £80,000 between them.
Disappointingly, last week, we were contacted by another former officer over the same issue. We calculated that they too had been under paid and were due a back payment of approximately £20,000. PSNI confirmed our findings and agreed to put matters right in their May 2020 pension payment.
These are not small sums of money and as this matter was first brought to the attention of the PSNI over five months ago, we are truly shocked that they don’t appear to have either identified those pensioners that may have been affected or written to those former officers to inform them that they may have had their pensions miscalculated.
We have written to the Finance and Support Services Department of the PSNI asking them to expedite this matter.
Typical of many forces it seems…quick to make mistakes…very slow to rectify them. If anyone from Staffordshire Police reads this, instead of putting a thumbs down, how about sorting out the IIDB debacle. Incorrect overpayments taken from pensions for about 10 years I believe. It is about time ALL Forces took stock of there wrong doings and started treating IOD’s with respect and honesty.
Well done IODPA for righting another wrong and for all you do for us all.
Halleluiah for IODPA. The eyes watching the dark murky dealings. The organisation who will come after the wrongdoers and shine a light on their embarrassing “Mistakes”.
Great result after the intervention of IODPA. Helping our colleagues to get what they rightfully deserved.the job will stop at nothing to rip off vulnerable injured pensioners.
Thank you for the good work you are doing on our behalf.
It doesn’t surprise me in the least. Because these people operate in the shadows they think no one will notice their mis-calculations. I note how it always falls in their favour, if it was the other way around they would be hounding the individual concerned for a refund, probably with interest. It’s about time ALL UK forces were made to understand the regulations thoroughly and made to give an answer to their ‘creative accountancy’
Excellent work in righting the wrongs. It is a shame that PSNI. did not act on your findings and I hope that on this occasion it learns from its mistakes.
Isn’t it strange that Police forces will devote a large number of resources in attempts to remove lawful police injury on duty awards, or to try to avoid paying former officers their rightful pensions in the first place.
However, when the shoe is on the other foot and the police owe pensioners money, then it’s a completely different picture. As reported in this blog, the PSNI know that errors have been made, but they seem to be deliberately resisting the notification to others pensioners who may also have been affected.
It’s no doubt that correcting errors will be expensive to them, but these officers have a right to be informed that an error may have been made, plus the necessary correction implemented.
It’s not just PSNI that this applies too, as many other forces are still trying everything in the book to avoid paying out on another mistake, the unlawful deduction of Industrial Injury Benefits from police Injury On Duty pensions. This arises, as a result of a decision of the Court of Appeal in the Evans & Ashcroft v Chief Constable of South Wales Police case.
This judgement was made back in June 2018 and determined that inflation deductions were unlawful. However, we will soon reach the 2 year mark, without refund in many forces areas, including our old nemesis
, Staffordshire.
Could you see that police force, or others I could name, waiting that long, if a police pensioner owes them cash?
PSNI now need to do the decent thing and notify swiftly, all those police pensioners affected. Let’s hope that they read and respond positively to the IODPA approach.
It’s disgraceful behaviour and yet another example of police forces, desperate to save money, rather than honour the regulations that protect police officers who put their lives on the line.