Government gives 'younger age' update over pensions for emergency service workers

Government gives 'younger age' update over pensions for emergency service workers It follows calls to change the pension age for frontline workers The Government has issued a pensions update for members of the emergency services. A Government statement confirmed that it had 'no plans' to bring the pension age down for ambulance service workers. Currently, 60 is the standard normal pension age for members of the police and fire service, assuming it is a full pension paid without reductions. A petition submitted to the Government called for this same age limit to be introduced for ambulance workers. Such a petition can be launched by any British citizen or UK resident, and the Government must respond once it has 10,000 signatures, while it must be considered for debate in Parliament once it has 100,000. This petition, launched by Barbara Elizabeth Whitehead, has 19,755 signatures at the time of writing, having hit 10,000 on September 9. The petition says: "Lower the pension age for ambulance service workers under the NHS scheme to 60, in line with the Police and Firefighters. Ambulance staff have the stresses and face the same dangers as police and fire fighters. They do not have the privilege of lower pension ages despite being front line workers. "We believe it is the duty of Parliamentarians to bring ALL emergency service staff in line regarding pensions and pay more widely. We rely on all of these people in times of accident, major incidents and all manner of health and urgent needs." The Department of Health and Social Care's response said: "Government has no plans to reduce the pension age for ambulance service workers. The NHS Pension Scheme provides valuable benefits and multiple options for members to retire before normal pension age. "The normal pension age in the NHS Pension Scheme, including for ambulance staff, is 60 in the 1995 Section, 65 in the 2008 Section, and linked to State Pension age in the 2015 Scheme. "The NHS Pension Scheme is widely regarded as one of the most valuable workplace pension schemes available. In the current career average schemes, NHS Pension Scheme members generally benefit from lower contribution rates and more generous accrual rates than members of the Police and Firefighters' Pension Schemes, alongside a range of retirement flexibilities. Reducing the normal pension age for ambulance staff would result in significant additional costs which would need to be met by scheme members, employers, taxpayers, or a combination of all three. "There is a common misconception that NHS staff are expected or required to work to normal pension age, or that this is necessary to receive a good pension. Normal pension age is the age used to calculate unreduced NHS Pension Scheme benefits. The generosity and flexibilities of the NHS Pension Scheme mean that members have options to retire earlier than their normal pension age. When doing so, their pension will have an actuarial reduction. This means that the member will receive their pension from a younger age, so will receive a lower annual pension for a longer period of time. "Even with an actuarial reduction, NHS Pension Scheme benefits can provide for a comfortable retirement. For instance, a paramedic who joined the NHS now at 25, worked full time throughout their career and saw minimal career progression could retire as early as 62 with a pension equivalent to just over half of their pay. They will have built this up having paid lower pension contributions than a police or firefighter counterpart during their working life. "Furthermore, the minimum retirement age in the NHS Pension Scheme, including for ambulance staff, is between 50 and 55 depending on when the member joined the NHS Pension Scheme. For members who joined the scheme after 3 November 2021, the minimum retirement age will rise to 57 in 2028. "Since 1 April 2016, ambulance staff have had access to an Early Retirement Reduction Buy Out option, where members can pay additional pension contributions during their working life in order to retire up to three years earlier than normal pension age in the 2015 NHS Pension Scheme without a financial reduction to their retirement benefits. This unique ambulance service arrangement enables these members to split the cost between themselves and their employer, subject to the employer’s agreement. "Members are also now able to retire, have their pension benefits paid, then decide to return to NHS employment and re-join the NHS Pension Scheme to accrue more pension. Where members are unable to continue within their role until normal pension age because of illness, then ill-health retirement is available at any age. "Finally, partial retirement was introduced from 1 October 2023. This allows staff to receive their pension benefits while also continuing to work and build up further pension." Ambulance staff burnout Ambulance workers do tend to report the highest level of burnout inside the NHS, according to research. Around 51 per cent report burnout, with only a third feeling they had achieved a good balance between work and home life. They also have the highest sickness rate at 8.8 per cent, second only to ambulance support staff at 10.4 per cent. More than 1000 ambulance workers have left their profession since 2018 to seek a better work-life balance, more pay, or to take early retirement. Work stress is reported to be 'extremely prevalent' in the profession, with the GMB Union saying that 75 per cent of paramedics who retired from the NHS left before the age of 60 due to severe workload pressures and burnout.