Use this free, fast Police Pension Scheme Calculator to estimate your retirement benefits across the 1987, 2006, and 2015 schemes. Whether you are planning to retire soon or just checking your numbers, this tool provides projections for your annual pension, tax-free lump sum, and the impact of commutation. It covers final salary and CARE calculations, including part-time adjustments and basic McCloud remedy comparisons.
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Personal Details
Pay & Service
How it works
This tool simplifies complex pension regulations into a quick estimate. It calculates your pension based on the specific rules of the scheme you selected:
- PPS 1987: A final salary scheme. You accrue 1/60th of your final salary for the first 20 years, and 2/60th for service over 20 years, capped at 30 years.
- NPPS 2006: Also final salary. You accrue 1/70th of your final salary per year, capped at 35 years. It includes an automatic lump sum of 4x your pension.
- PPS 2015 (CARE): A career average scheme. You accrue 1/55.3rd of your pensionable pay each year, which is revalued by inflation (CPI + 1.25%) until retirement.
The calculator adjusts for part-time service by reducing your "pensionable time" proportionally to the hours worked compared to a standard 40-hour week.
Inputs explained
Date of Birth & Retirement Date
These determine your retirement age and whether you are retiring early. If you retire before your Normal Pension Age (NPA), actuarial reductions typically apply, lowering your annual pension.
Final Pensionable Pay
For the 1987 and 2006 schemes, this is usually your average salary over the last year or the best 3 consecutive years in the last 10, depending on your specific force rules. It includes pensionable overtime and allowances.
CARE Pension Account Value
For the 2015 scheme, your annual pension statement will show a "Pension Account" value (e.g., £4,000/year). This is the pension you have built up so far. If you don't have this, you can use the projection method based on your current salary.
Commutation
This is the process of swapping some of your annual pension for a one-off tax-free lump sum. The "Commutation Factor" determines how much lump sum you get for every £1 of pension given up (e.g., 20:1 means giving up £500/year pension gets you £10,000 lump sum). The 25% tax-free limit is a strict HMRC rule.
Assumptions and limitations
This calculator uses standard accrual rates (1/60, 1/70, 1/55.3) and typical commutation factors (12:1 to 25:1). It does not account for:
- Future pay rises (unless you input a higher final salary manually).
- Specific CPI fluctuations for CARE revaluation (uses a flat assumption).
- Complex ill-health retirement tiers (beyond basic estimates).
- The specific "Short Service Pension" refund logic for under 2 years.
For the McCloud Remedy, the tool provides a comparative snapshot. The actual legal remedy involves complex calculations where the legacy scheme benefits for the remedy period (01/04/2015–31/03/2022) are calculated and compared to the 2015 CARE benefits, with the higher amount paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on your scheme. For the 1987 scheme, NPA is often 55 (or 50 after 30 years). For 2006, it is usually 55. For the 2015 scheme, it is 60 (State Pension Age is sometimes linked for new joiners). Retiring early usually results in an actuarial reduction.
Your pensionable service is scaled down based on the hours you worked. If you worked 20 hours a week for 5 years (instead of 40), you accrue 2.5 years of pensionable service (5 * 20/40).
Yes, usually the lump sum is paid on the day you retire, and your monthly pension payments commence shortly after.
Available primarily in the 2006 scheme, this allows you to give up part or all of your automatic lump sum to increase your annual pension.
If you have at least 2 years of service (vesting period), your benefits are preserved (deferred) and increased by inflation until you take them. If you have less than 2 years, you may be entitled to a refund of contributions.
It is a high-level estimation tool. For financial planning decisions, you must consult your official Annual Benefit Statement or your Force's Pension Administrator.