Consultation Document – Amendments to the Northern Ireland Firefighters’ Pension Schemes and Compensation SchemeThe Department is consulting on amendments to the Firefighters’ Pensions Schemes and Compensation Scheme. The main changes relate to amendments to the Firefighters’ Pensions (Remediable Service) Regulations (NI) 2023, which implemented the McCloud retrospective remedy, to make an additional provision for special scheme members, with remediable service, to be reassessed for ill-health.
The consultation includes amendments to the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Regulations (NI) 2015 to provide for early retirement (actuarially reduced) for deferred members once they have reached normal pension age and before they have reached deferred pension age. They also amend the regulations to remove the provision for employer initiated retirement and employer additional contributions as they are inapplicable in relation to the NI 2015 Regulations.
The Department is also consulting on amendments to the firefighters’ pension schemes and compensation scheme to remove the requirement for correspondence relating to an individual’s medical appeal to be sent through the Department. The consultation also includes proposals to remove the requirement for payments to be made in advance in the compensation scheme and to correct minor drafting errors.