The Fire Brigades Union has called on the government to intervene after it emerged that slow processing of pensions claims is leaving thousands of retired firefighters out of pocket by as much as hundreds of pounds a month.
In a letter to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Steve Wright, Fire Brigades Union general secretary warned that “members who have already retired […] are likely currently in receipt of a pension that is far lower than the amount they are entitled to.”
In 2015, the government imposed a new, less generous pension scheme on firefighters.
The FBU won a landmark legal case in 2018, with the High Court ruling that the transitional arrangements were discriminatory on the grounds of age. As a result, around 10,500 affected firefighters are entitled to transfer seven additional years of contributions back into the old pension scheme.
However, for firefighters to move their contributions, they need to first receive a Remediable Service Statement (RSS) which gives crucial information on the likely impact of moving, or not moving, their balance.
The legal deadline for the delivery of RSSs was 31st March 2025. However, some FBU members are now being informed that this deadline will not be met. This leaves some retired firefighters continuing to receive a far lower pension than they should be receiving until the situation is resolved.
Steve Wright, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said:
“It is disgraceful that some fire authorities are still failing to give retired firefighters what they are legally entitled to.
“Thousands of firefighters are losing as much as hundreds of pounds a month. People who spent their careers protecting the public have been left in financial difficulty.”
Mark Rowe, Fire Brigades Union national officer, said:
“It is bad enough that firefighters had a less generous pension scheme imposed on them in 2015. As a minimum, they have a right to expect that their legal rights will be upheld.
“The Fire Brigades Union won a landmark legal case to prove that the transitional arrangements were discriminatory. Fire authorities have a duty to act quickly, but have failed to do so. The government must now intervene.”
