2015 Remedy · 1 Apr 2015 – 31 Mar 2022 · 1987 / 2006 / 2015 Schemes
Police Pension McCloud Remedy: rollback, RSS & 1987 vs 2015 choice
The McCloud remedy (officially the 2015 Remedy under the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022) removes the age discrimination introduced when the 2015 CARE police pension scheme launched. If you joined policing on or before 31 March 2012, you get to choose whether your service between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022 is calculated under your legacy scheme (1987 or 2006) or the 2015 CARE scheme.
Eligibility cut-off
Joined ≤ 31 Mar 2012
Must have served in the 2015–2022 window without >5yr break
Remedy window
7 years
1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022 ("remediable service")
Service from 1 Apr 2022
2015 CARE only
All serving officers accrue in PPS 2015 from April 2022
When you choose
At retirement
Deferred Choice Underpin (DCU) via your RSS
How the McCloud remedy works: step-by-step timeline
31 March 2012 — Eligibility cut-off date
You must have been in pensionable service in a UK public service pension scheme on or before 31 March 2012 (andStill serving on or after 1 April 2015 without a gap of more than 5 years) to be in scope of the McCloud remedy.
1 April 2015 – 31 March 2022 — The 7-year Remedy Period (Remediable Service)
The window during which unlawful age-based transitional protections kept older officers in the 1987/2006 schemes while moving younger officers to the 2015 CARE scheme. Only service inside this 7-year window is subject to the McCloud choice.
1 April 2022 — Legacy schemes closed to future accrual
The 1987 and 2006 final-salary schemes closed to all future accrual. Every serving police officer across the UK builds up benefits in the 2015 CARE scheme from 1 April 2022 onwards.
1 October 2023 — Statutory Rollback into Legacy Scheme
Under the Police Pensions (Remediable Service) Regulations 2023, all eligible officers’ service between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022 was automatically rolled back into their legacy scheme (1987 or 2006) as the default starting position.
At Retirement (Active & Deferred) — Deferred Choice Underpin (DCU)
Shortly before you retire, your pension administrator issues a retirement Remediable Service Statement (RSS). You choose whether your 2015–2022 service is paid under your legacy scheme (1987/2006) or the 2015 CARE scheme — when your actual retirement age and final salary are known.
Comparing your options for the 2015–2022 remedy window
Your choice applies strictly to the 7 years between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022 (all service before 1 April 2015 stays in your legacy scheme, and all service from 1 April 2022 stays in the 2015 CARE scheme):
| Rule (2015–2022 window) | 1987 Legacy Scheme (1988 in NI) | 2006 Legacy Scheme | 2015 CARE Scheme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accrual during 2015–2022 (7 years) | Up to 14/60ths (23.3%) of final salary if those 7 years fell in your final 10 years of fast double-accrual (years 20–30). | 7/70ths (10.0%) of final salary. | 7 years × 1/55.3th (12.66%) of each year’s actual pensionable pay, revalued by CPI + 1.25% each April. |
| When you can draw the 2015–2022 portion unreduced | After 30 years’ total pensionable service (at any age), or from age 50 with 25+ years’ service. | Age 55 while serving. | Age 60 while serving (or from age 55 with an actuarial reduction of ~4.5% per year early). |
| Lump sum commutation terms | Actuarial commutation factor based on age at retirement (often £14–£16+ per £1 of pension given up at age 50–55, capped at 2.25× annual pension). | Fixed 12:1 commutation factor (£12 lump sum per £1 of pension given up). | Fixed 12:1 commutation factor (£12 lump sum per £1 of pension given up). |
| Employee contribution rate (2015–2022) | 14.25% – 15.05% (approx. 0.8% higher than the 2015 scheme rate → choosing 1987 means owing the contribution difference minus tax relief). | 11.00% – 12.75% (approx. 1.0%–1.7% lower than the 2015 scheme rate → choosing 2006 means receiving a contribution refund). | 13.44% – 13.78% (no contribution adjustment if you already paid into the 2015 scheme during 2015–2022). |
Contribution adjustments & tax relief
Because the three schemes charged different employee contribution rates between April 2015 and March 2022, rolling back to your legacy scheme triggers a contribution adjustment on your Remediable Service Statement (RSS):
- 1987 scheme members (moved to 2015 during 2015–2022): The 1987 scheme cost ~0.8% more of pay than the 2015 scheme. Choosing 1987 benefits means you owe the net shortfall (after automatic 20%/40% income tax relief) plus NS&I Direct Saver interest — typically around £1,800 to £3,200 depending on rank, which can be deducted from your retirement lump sum.
- 2006 scheme members (moved to 2015 during 2015–2022): The 2006 scheme cost ~1.0%–1.7% less than the 2015 scheme. Choosing 2006 benefits means the scheme owes you a net refund plus interest.
The Final Salary Link & tapered protection
Even though the 1987 and 2006 schemes closed to new accrual on 31 March 2022, you keep the statutory Final Salary Link for as long as you remain an active member of the 2015 scheme without a break of more than 5 years:
- Your 1987 or 2006 pension (including the 2015–2022 McCloud years if you choose legacy) is calculated on your final pensionable salary when you actually retire, not what you earned in 2022.
- Every pay award (such as the 3.5% September 2026 uplift) and every promotion to Sergeant or Inspector raises your entire legacy final-salary pension.
Get the pay award first
We'll email you the moment the next police pay award is announced — with the calculators updated to match. Free, no spam, unsubscribe any time.
Police pension calculators & guides
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for the Police Pension McCloud Remedy?
You are eligible if you were in pensionable service in a UK police pension scheme (or another qualifying UK public service pension scheme) on or before 31 March 2012, had pensionable service during the remedy period (1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022), and did not have a disqualifying break in service of more than 5 years. Officers who first joined policing on or after 1 April 2012 are not affected by the McCloud remedy.
What is a Remediable Service Statement (RSS)?
A Remediable Service Statement (RSS) is the official document issued by your pension administrator (XPS Administration, Equiniti, LPPA, SPPA in Scotland, or NIPB in Northern Ireland) showing side-by-side what your pension and lump sum for the 7-year remedy period (1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022) are worth under your legacy scheme (1987 or 2006) versus the 2015 CARE scheme, along with any employee contribution adjustment.
Why do 1987 scheme members owe money (contribution adjustment) after rollback?
During 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022, the employee contribution rate in the 1987 scheme was 14.25% to 15.05%, whereas officers moved into the 2015 CARE scheme paid 13.44% to 13.78% (around 0.8% less). When your 2015–2022 service is rolled back into the 1987 scheme, regulations require you to pay the historic contribution shortfall (reduced automatically for income tax relief, plus compound interest at the NS&I Direct Saver rate). You can settle this shortfall either by instalments/lump sum while serving or by deducting it from your retirement lump sum.
Does the 7-year McCloud remedy period count towards my 30 years in the 1987 scheme?
Yes. If you choose legacy 1987 scheme benefits for the 1 April 2015 – 31 March 2022 remedy window, those 7 years count in full as 1987 pensionable service — including the double-accrual rate (2/60ths per year) after 20 years’ service. Moreover, your post-April 2022 service in the 2015 scheme still counts as qualifying service towards reaching the 25-year or 30-year threshold to unlock your 1987 pension, and your 1987 benefits remain linked to your final salary when you eventually retire.
Which is better for the 2015–2022 window: the 1987 scheme or the 2015 CARE scheme?
For most officers retiring between ages 50 and 55 after 25–30 years’ service — or officers promoted to higher ranks before retiring — the 1987 scheme is significantly more valuable for the 2015–2022 window because it accrues at 2/60ths in the final 10 years, is payable unreduced from age 50 (or any age at 30 years), links to your final salary, and offers a higher actuarial commutation factor. However, for a small minority of officers who retire closer to age 60 without promotion, the 2015 CARE scheme can occasionally produce a higher figure.
Sources: Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022; The Police Pensions (Remediable Service) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/831); NPCC Police Pension 2015 Remedy Member Guidance; Home Office & Government Actuary's Department (GAD) remedy documentation.