In 2015, the government introduced new laws which resulted in a new pension scheme for firefighters - the Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2015 (FPS 2015). These laws included protections which meant that some members of the existing schemes (FPS 1992 and FPS 2006) didn't join FPS 2015 either straight away or at all, depending on their age. Following a legal challenge known as Sargeant, the courts determined that the protections given to members were age discriminatory.

Ill-health eligibility

When you retired under ill-health you will have been assessed for eligibility to receive an ill health pension under the scheme you were in at the time of retirement.

A Contingent Decision (CD) is a decision taken by a member, relating to their membership of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (FPS), that would have been different had it not been for the discrimination identified by the courts.

The decision will relate to a member's membership of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (FPS) during the Remedy Period (1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022).

There are three categories of Contingent Decision in the FPS for which specific provision has been made: