Firefighters 2006 scheme – Active
Contributions
How much do I pay in contributions?
As a member of FPS2006 you pay a contribution which is a percentage of your pensionable pay. The fire and rescue authority pay an employer’s contribution and additional charges for ill-health awards plus the cost of exercising certain discretions allowed under the rules. Employees’ and employers’ contributions are determined by the Secretary of State on the advice of the Scheme Actuary who will have regard to the total cost of Scheme benefits. They are reviewed regularly.
The pensionable pay upon which the contributions are assessed is the amount determined in relation to the duties of your role and certain payments which the authority may, at their discretion, treat as pensionable for providing “Additional Pension Benefits”.
If you are part-time, contributions will be deducted on your part-time pay.
What if you are a retained firefighter?
For retained firefighters it is not possible to achieve total consistency with regular firefighters' pensionable pay but, generally, it will be the main "constant" elements of pay, e.g. annual retainer, disturbance payment, payment for work activity, and overtime. And any items of pay which would not be treated as pensionable for regular firefighters, for example certain reimbursements of expenditure, are treated as non-pensionable for retained firefighters, too. It is on the elements of pensionable pay that pension contributions will be assessed.
Contributions table 2020 – 21
| Pensionable pay | Contribution rate from 1st April 2020 to 31st March 2021 |
| Up to and including £15,609 | 8.5% of pensionable pay |
| More than £15,609 and up to and including £21,852 | 9.4% of pensionable pay |
| More than £21,852 and up to and including £31,218 | 10.4% of pensionable pay |
| More than £31,218 and up to and including £41,624 | 10.9% of pensionable pay |
| More than £41,624 and up to and including £52,030 | 11.2% of pensionable pay |
| More than £52,030 and up to and including £62,436 | 11.3% of pensionable pay |
| More than £62,436 and up to and including £104,060 | 11.7% of pensionable pay |
| More than £104,060 and up to and including £124,872 | 12.1% of pensionable pay |
| More than £124,872 | 12.5% of pensionable pay |
Contributions for unpaid leave
During paid maternity, paternity or adoption leave you would pay contributions on whatever rate of pay you receive; if a period of additional maternity, paternity or adoption leave is unpaid, you will have the option to pay contributions on the rate you were receiving immediately before pay ceased (disregarding any "Keeping in Touch" days), if you wish to count that period as pensionable service.
If you have an unpaid period of absence for other reasons (including authorised sick leave), you will have the option to pay contributions (based on the pay you would have received but for the absence) in order that the period can count as pensionable service. You would be required to pay both the employee's and employer's contribution. (At their discretion the fire and rescue authority may agree to pay the employer's contribution for you.)
