Leaving service or opting out

New Police Pension Scheme 2006 (NPPS 2006)

Deferred pensions

Your pension will become deferred if you leave service or opt out of the NPPS before it is due to be paid. Its value will be index linked and we will send you a pension statement every year. Remember to write to us if you move home.

When your pension can be paid

Your pension can be paid from:

  • age 65
  • age 55, reduced for early payment
  • any age if you become disabled for the ordinary duties of a police officer

For more information about claiming your pension, see Retiring.

Opting out

If you opt out of the New Police Pension Scheme and continue in employment, your pension benefits will become deferred. They cannot be paid until:

  • you have left service and
  • are at least age 55 (deferred benefits paid before age 65 are reduced for early payment) or
  • your police authority allows your benefits to be paid early due to ill health

If you contributed to the scheme for less than two years, your contributions will be refunded. How the refund is made will depend on the membership you have.

Membership How will any refund be made? Opt-out date
Less than 3 months Refund made through your pay Backdated to date of joining the scheme
More than 3 months, less than 2 years Contributions, less the certified amount and a deduction to cover Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary's tax liabilities Date on which you opt out, not backdated

You can opt out of the pension scheme at any time by contacting the Pensions Administration Team or by completing an Opt out form. Your pension benefits would become deferred and their value would be index linked.

Transferring your pension

If you leave service before your pension is due to be paid, you may ask for your pension benefits to be transferred to another pension scheme.

Pensions Services would work out the transfer value of your police pension, representing its capital value, using Government Actuary guidance and offer it to the trustees or manager of your new pension scheme. The transfer will only go ahead if you instruct that it should.

Moving to another police force

If you transfer to another police force and stay in the NPPS, your pension will transfer with you.

Pension fraud

If another organisation approaches you about your pension, or you want to find out about transferring your pension to another provider, please read the information below.

Pension liberation

Pension liberation also known as 'pension loans' and 'pension scams', is a transfer of a scheme member's pension savings to an arrangement that will allow them to access their funds before the age of 55. If you're over 55, you can release funds from your pension from April 2015. You may still be at risk from scammers. Make sure you use the government's Pension Wise service to understand your options.

Promises of early cash may still be bogus and may result in serious tax consequences.

If you have been contacted about this then please read guidance document produced by The Pensions Regulator.

Pension liberation information booklet

Telephone scams

We understand that some people have received recorded phone messages from an organisation calling itself 'The Pensions Helpline' or 'Your Pension Provider'.

From what we have been told, the messages suggest that 'people born after 1952 are due a bonus' or that 'you may be at risk of losing part of your pension'. and prompt the recipient to press a number between 1 and 9 to continue the call. The evidence available suggests that this is a UK-wide scam.

We never request bank details from our members or pensioners over the phone. We always request such information in writing when it is appropriate to do so. We have not been informed that any of our members have been contacted this way, but we want you to be aware of it.

Now that you are aware and know what to watch out for, you can:

  • put the phone down on unsolicited telephone calls
  • never give personal or financial information to anyone who cold calls you on the telephone
  • report any scams to Action Fraud online