Paying into a pension
If you’re eligible for 2015 Remedy and still paying into a pension, you’ll be asked to make a Remedy choice when you apply to retire.
Asking you to make this choice when you retire means you’ll know exactly what you’re entitled to under each option, making it easier to make the right decision for you.
When to expect your Remedy choice
When you apply to retire, we’ll offer you a choice between your final salary benefits and your CARE benefits for your service between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022. This is called the Remedy period.
These are sometimes known as ‘legacy’ benefits and ‘reformed’ benefits.
All Fire members started building up pension in the CARE scheme from 1 April 2022.
To help you decide, we’ll send you a choice letter, known as a Remediable Service Statement (RSS). This will show your pension benefits side-by-side in your final salary and CARE scheme for the Remedy period, to help you decide which option is the right one for you.
Annual Benefit Statements
From August 2024, your Annual Benefit Statement (ABS) will be a dual statement which shows you two pension estimates for the Remedy period.
A dual Annual Benefit Statement will provide a comparison of pension benefits under the new CARE scheme and the previous final salary scheme. This will help you to keep track of your pension benefits for the Remedy period.
We’ll continue to send you a dual Annual Benefit Statement every year that you pay into the pension scheme.
Sign up to MSS to see your Annual Benefit Statements.
Contributions and Remedy
From 1 October 2023, eligible members who contributed to the 2015 Care Scheme between the 1 April 2015 – 31 March 2022 (the remedy period) are being moved back to their Legacy Scheme for this pensionable period. This action is taking place to enable members to make a choice for the remedy period.
During the remedy period, you will have paid contributions at the 2015 Care Scheme rates. By moving members back to their legacy scheme for this period, you will either owe or be owed the difference in contributions due.
We are working with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and partners on a process for repaying underpaid contributions and claiming back owed contributions.
I’ve received a letter about my Additional Pension
If you bought an Additional Pension arrangement, you have a choice of what happens to this for your service between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022 – this is called the Remedy period.
We need you to confirm what you’d like to do. To help you make your decision, the letter includes:
- A decision guide, including a personalised table of your options
- A decision form to complete and send back to us
Take some time to review your options, then sign and send your form to confirm your decision.
You have 6 months to make your decision, but please tell us when you’re ready so we can make sure you’re paid the benefits you want when you retire.
If you have more than one Additional Pension arrangement in the Remedy period, you need to make a decision for each one.
I’ve received a letter about my Early Retirement Reduction Buy Out
If you bought an Early Retirement Reduction Buy Out arrangement, you have a choice of what happens to this for your service between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022 – this is called the Remedy period.
We need you to confirm what you’d like to do. To help you make your decision, the letter includes:
- A decision guide, including a personalised table of your options
- A decision form to complete and send back to us
Take some time to review your options, then sign and send your form to confirm your decision.
You have 6 months to make your decision, but please tell us when you’re ready so we can make sure you’re paid the benefits you want when you retire.
More information
2015 Remedy and getting ready to retire