Open consultation New Firefighters Pension Scheme - Consultation - Retained Firefighters

Summary

The Department of Health is undertaking a consultation to seek views on policy proposals for legislative changes in the New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme with regard to the second options exercise for retained firefighters.

Documents

• Consultation Document – Matthews Remedy Amendments - Retained Firefighters Adobe PDF (676 KB)
• Draft Statutory Rules – The New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 Adobe PDF (378 KB)
• Equality Screening, Disability Duties and Human Rights Assessment Adobe PDF (544 KB)

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Consultation description

The consultation document sets out the policy proposals which focuses on the Department’s commitment to provide additional remedy and flexibility to those members who were employed as retained firefighters between 7 April 2000 and 5 April 2006 inclusive by providing access to the modified section of the New Firefighters Pension Scheme.

We are seeking views on proposals to amend the New Firefighters Pension Scheme Order (NI) 2007 to allow:

• the payment of a missed pension lump sum/survivor’s missed pension payment in respect of a deceased individual who would have been entitled to a pension (or a higher pension) under the Matthews remedy;
• the extension of the eligibility criteria for an ‘additional death grant’ payment, so that it is also payable in respect of those individuals who did not join (or did not get an opportunity to join) the modified scheme during the 2014 Options exercise;
• individuals who joined the modified scheme as special deferred members the option to convert relevant standard service in the NFPS to special service in the modified scheme;
• for a minor clarification to be made to an existing reference to ‘additional death grant’;
• eligible individuals with periods of ‘opted out’ service in the standard NFPS to count this towards their special service;
• flexibility to apply new provisions beyond 30 April 2026;
• the closure deadline of the 2023 Options exercise to be extended by 12 months to 30 April 2026;
• members who join the modified scheme as special pensioner members, and who are in receipt of a ‘member initiated early payment of pension’, the ability to convert their standard service to special service.