TAYSIDE POLICE officers joining a pension scheme being introduced at the beginning of April will have to complete five years’ more service than colleagues in the current scheme before qualifying for their maximum pension.

However, the new scheme will see officers having to put less of their pay into their pensions.

It will also see officers able to nominate, for the first time, who should receive benefits due on their death, including unmarried and same-sex partners.

Details of the new scheme are to be placed before the Tayside Joint Police Board in Forfar on Monday.

Councillors from Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross councils will be told it comes into effect on April 1 for new recruits and existing officers who choose to transfer.

The report by Chief Constable John Vine says the police pension has been under review “for some considerable time” to bring it more in line with other public sector schemes.

All new recruits from April 6 will become members of the new scheme.

The 9.5% contribution from their pensionable pay to be made is estimated to represent about a third of the cost of providing pension benefits.

The new scheme has a number of significant differences from the current one, including:

The earliest date a pension can be paid is when an officer is 55, compared to after 25 years’ service under the current scheme.

The service needed for maximum pension will be 35 years instead of 30 years.

The maximum pension will be half of average pensionable pay, instead of two-thirds.

The lump sum payable on retirement will be an automatic four times pension, changed from twice the average pensionable pay.

A deferred pension will be payable from 65, instead of 60.

The lump sum grant on death in service will be three times average pensionable pay. Before, it was two times average pensionable pay.

Ill-health pension will only be enhanced if caused by injury on duty or the officer being permanently unable to work instead of being enhanced in all cases where service is over five years.

Although all new recruits will join the new scheme, it appears the force is not expecting a wave of others choosing to switch.

In his report, Mr Vine says it is anticipated “a significant majority” of officers will elect to remain in the current scheme.

As a result, it is projected the reduction in payments resulting from the 9.5% contribution instead of 11% can be contained in the indicative revenue budgets for the current spending review for 2006/07 and 2007/08.

The members of the board will be asked to note the contents of Mr Vine’s report.