The Fire Brigades Union has launched an age discrimination legal challenge against the government over plans to reduce firefighters’ pensions by different amounts dependent upon age.
As part of the proposed 2015 firefighter pension scheme, firefighters who retire between 55 and 60 will receive significantly reduced pensions. But these reductions vary hugely according to age. The union is advised that this is unlawful discrimination on grounds of age.
In particular those aged 55 will lose out by 50.3%, and 56 year olds will lose 47.8%.
This is compared to a 4.8% loss for 59 year olds, 9.8% for 58 year olds and 13.9% for 57 year olds. Two firefighters with the same service but who are as little as two days different in age will suffer massively different penalties.
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “Firefighters over 55 whose fitness declines so they are no longer able to perform frontline duties simply because they are getting older face a stark choice of being sacked or receiving a hugely reduced pension. This is no choice at all.
“Having taken legal advice, it is the view of the Fire Brigades Union that the government intends to unlawfully discriminate against some firefighters on the basis of their age.
“Although far from the only issue with the government’s ludicrous and unworkable pension proposals, we hope by challenging this aspect legally, we can at least help the government see sense on pension reductions related to age.”
Both the government’s own evidence — a report by Dr Tony Williams, published in January 2013 — and a recently-obtained report from the University of Bath help demonstrate that the majority of firefighters will be unable to perform front-line duties beyond age 55.
In addition, research by the Fire Brigades Union show that there only a tiny handful of ‘non-operational roles’ for firefighters to be redeployed into.
The union has asked the Government to respond by Monday 23 June. If their answer does not meet the FBU’s legal demands, it says it will proceed with a judicial review application.
