In some circumstances an FPS 2006 pension can be reduced or stopped as explained below.
Your pension may be reduced by an "earmarking" or “pension sharing” order issued on divorce, dissolution of a civil partnership, annulment or judicial separation – see divorce and your pension.
Your FRA may stop all or part of your pension in payment if you are re-employed as a firefighter by them or any other FRA, and can reduce your pension if you are employed in any capacity with any FRA, including civilian roles. This is known as abatement.
Your FRA may stop or reduce your pension temporarily or permanently if you have:
- been convicted for an offence of treason, or one or more offences under the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1989 (in the case of a dependant the offence must have been committed after the Scheme member’s death); or
- been convicted of an offence committed in connection with your employment which is certified by the Secretary of State either to have been ‘gravely injurious to the interests of the State’ or to be liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service.
- been convicted of an offence under subsection (6) of section 34 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 (acts or omissions for purposes of obtaining awards or other sums)
A pension is not payable to a dependant convicted of the murder of the FPS 2006 member whose pension rights the pension would come from (for example a firefighter's husband or wife who murdered the firefighter). If convicted of manslaughter of the member, the FRA has discretion to withhold all or part of the pension.
Pensions payable due to ill-health retirement may be reviewed and reduced or suspended.