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Contributions
In this section
You pay to be a member of the firefighters’ pension scheme 2015. The amount you contribute, depends on your pensionable pay – which is a figure similar to your salary.
What you pay
Contribution rates
What you pay (known as a contribution) is taken from your salary each month. There are different bands based on your pensionable pay.
| Pensionable pay | Contribution rate |
| Up to £27,818 | 11.0% |
| £27,819 - £51,515 | 12.9% |
| £51,516 - £142,500 | 13.5% |
| £142,501 or more | 14.5% |
Tax relief
As a member of firefighters’ pension scheme 2015, if you earn enough to pay tax, your contributions will attract tax relief when they are deducted from your pensionable pay. Essentially this means that you don’t have to pay as much tax because you’re saving for later.
The Government sets some restrictions around how much you can build up in a pension each year – this is known about the annual allowance. You can find out more about this in the annual allowance section.
Part time and retained
If you work part time or are a retained firefighter, the percentage that you pay will be based on the full time equivalent pensionable pay. However, the actual value of the contribution paid is based on your actual (part-time) pay.
If you have more than one role, you will make separate contributions based on the pensionable pay for each role you carry out.
Contribution rates are reviewed once a year in April.
Find out what happens to your contributions if you have a period of absence.
Employer contributions
What your employer pays
Your fire and rescue authority pays employer contributions each month to cover pension payments as well as other payments from the firefighters’ pension scheme 2015, such as ill health awards.
Employer contributions are calculated every four years. The current employer contribution rate is 37.6%.
Pensionable pay
What's included?
Pensionable pay is similar to your salary but has a specific definition.
Pensionable pay includes:
- Pay received for the performance of the duties of your role, except for any allowances or emoluments paid on a temporary basis;
- Your permanent elements of pay (including, in the case of a retained firefighter, any retaining allowance);
- Any amount you agree to give up for salary sacrifice arrangements such as cycle to work schemes;
- The amount paid for continued professional development (CPD) if the authority has determined that this should be pensionable.
Any payments made by an employer to a member who is on reserve forces service leave would not count as pensionable.
Assumed pensionable pay
When your pay is stopped or reduced
Sometimes your pay may be stopped or reduced for a period of time. This could have an effect on how much pension you build up. Circumstances include:
- sickness
- injury
- child-related leave
- unpaid leave
In these circumstances, you may be able to use ‘assumed pensionable pay’ so that your pension will not be affected.
Assumed pensionable pay is the pay you would have received if you weren’t absent.
In some circumstances, for example sick leave with reduced pay, assumed pensionable pay will be applied automatically. In other circumstances, such as sick leave with no pay, assumed pensionable pay will only apply if the member repays pension contributions for the unpaid period.
Your administrator can inform you of your rights and options if this applies to you.