The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme covers serving and retired firefighters across the UK, with separate regulations for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Four schemes still affect benefits being paid today: FPS 1992 (final salary, fast accrual, NPA 55), FPS 2006 standard (final salary, NPA 60), FPS 2006 Special (the modified scheme for retained firefighters, restoring pre-2006 entitlement), and FPS 2015 (CARE, NPA 60, the only scheme building benefits since 1 April 2022). Two remedies are running in parallel, Sargeant for the 2015 transition and Matthews for retained firefighters’ pre-2006 service. The contribution structure changed on 1 April 2026.
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Firefighters’ Pension Scheme guide: how the FPS works for members
The full plain-English guide for this scheme, what each of the four schemes delivers, how the remedies work, and what changed on 1 April 2026.
What members usually ask
- Which scheme am I in?
- Depends on when you joined and whether you were a regular or retained firefighter. Pre-April 2006 regular firefighters were in FPS 1992; new entrants 2006 to 2015 went into FPS 2006 standard; everyone since 1 April 2015 has joined FPS 2015. Retained firefighters from 7 April 2000 to 5 April 2006 may have entitlement to the FPS 2006 Special (modified) scheme via Matthews. Sargeant has rolled most pre-2022 service back into your legacy scheme by default.
- What changed on 1 April 2026?
- FPS 2015 contributions in England moved to a five-tier structure between 11.09% and 17.09%, based on actual pensionable pay rather than whole-time-equivalent. That’s a meaningful reduction for many retained and part-time firefighters, and an increase for senior officers. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland set their own rates separately.
- How does ill-health retirement work?
- All four schemes use a two-tier system. Lower tier applies if you’re permanently disabled for the firefighter role but could still take other regular work. Higher tier applies if you can’t take any regular employment, and adds an enhancement on top. Decisions need an Independent Qualified Medical Practitioner’s opinion. Injuries on duty are dealt with separately by the Firefighters’ Compensation Scheme, with non-taxable injury pensions and lump-sum gratuities scaled by degree of disablement.
- What is Sargeant doing for firefighters?
- Service between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022 has been rolled back into your legacy scheme by default. You make the choice between legacy and FPS 2015 benefits for that period, at retirement if you’re still working (Deferred Choice Underpin), or within 12 months of receiving an Immediate Choice statement if you’ve already retired. Statements have been running months behind schedule; if you should have received one and haven’t, contact your fire and rescue authority.
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