Contribution rates
How much you pay towards your public sector pension is based on how much you earn. When you join the scheme, your employer works out your contribution rate based on the table below (and this is updated every April)*.
| Annual Pensionable Pay | Normal contribution rate | 50 / 50 contribution rate |
| Up to £17,600 | 5.5% | 2.75% |
| £17,601 to £27,600 | 5.8% | 2.90% |
| £27,601 to £44,900 | 6.5% | 3.25% |
| £44,901 to £56,800 | 6.8% | 3.40% |
| £56,801 to £79,700 | 8.5% | 4.25% |
| £79,701 to £112,900 | 9.9% | 4.95% |
| £112,901 to £133,100 | 10.5% | 5.25% |
| £133,101 to £199,700 | 11.4% | 5.70% |
| £199,701 or more | 12.5% | 6.25% |
When you pay into the Local Government Pension Scheme, your contributions are deducted before income tax is applied to your earnings, meaning you pay less tax while also building a retirement income.
Members of a Local Government Pension Scheme can choose the 50/50 option and pay half the contributions you normally would in the main scheme for half the retirement income.
FPS 2015 scheme rates
| Annual Pensionable Pay | Contribution rate |
| Up to £27,818 | 11.0% |
| £27,819 to £51,515 | 12.9% |
| £51,516 to £142,500 | 13.5% |
| £142,501 or more | 14.5% |
1. The amount of pensionable pay for a retained or volunteer firefighter for the purpose of the first column of the above table is that firefighter’s reference pay.
2. The amount of pensionable pay of a part-time firefighter for the purpose of the first column of the table must be the amount of pensionable pay of a whole-time regular firefighter of equivalent role and length of service.
| Annual Pensionable Pay | Contribution Rate |
| Up to and including £15,609 | 8.5% |
| More than £15,609 and up to and including £21,852 | 9.4% |
| More than £21,852 and up to and including £31,218 | 10.4% |
| More than £31,218 and up to and including £41,624 | 10.9% |
| More than £41,624 and up to and including £52,030 | 11.2% |
| More than £52,030 and up to and including £62,436 | 11.3% |
| More than £62,436 and up to and including £104,060 | 11.7% |
| More than £104,060 and up to and including £124,872 | 12.1% |
| More than £124,872 | 12.5% |
1. The amount of pensionable pay for a retained or volunteer firefighter for the purpose of the first column of the above table is that firefighter’s reference pay.
2. The amount of pensionable pay of a part-time firefighter for the purpose of the first column of the table must be the whole time equivalent amount.
| Annual pensionable pay | Contribution rate |
| Up to and including £15,609 | 11.0% |
| More than £15,609 and up to and including £21,852 | 12.2% |
| More than £21,852 and up to and including £31,218 | 14.2% |
| More than £31,218 and up to and including £41,624 | 14.7% |
| More than £41,624 and up to and including £52,030 | 15.2% |
| More than £52,030 and up to and including £62,436 | 15.5% |
| More than £62,436 and up to and including £104,060 | 16% |
| More than £104,060 and up to and including £124,872 | 16.5% |
| More than £124,872 | 17% |
1. The amount of pensionable pay for a retained or volunteer firefighter for the purpose of the first column of the above table is that firefighter’s reference pay.
2. The amount of pensionable pay of a part-time firefighter for the purpose of the first column of the table must be the whole time equivalent amount.
3. The contributions you pay as a Special Member are the same as the contribution rates payable by FPS 1992 members.
| Annual Pensionable Pay | Contribution Rate |
| Up to and including £15,609 | 11.0% |
| More than £15,609 and up to and including £21,852 | 12.2% |
| More than £21,852 and up to and including £31,218 | 14.2% |
| More than £31,218 and up to and including £41,624 | 14.7% |
| More than £41,624 and up to and including £52,030 | 15.2% |
| More than £52,030 and up to and including £62,436 | 15.5% |
| More than £62,436 and up to and including £104,060 | 16.0% |
| More than £104,060 and up to and including £124,872 | 16.5% |
| More than £124,872 | 17.0% |
1. The amount of pensionable pay for a retained or volunteer firefighter for the purpose of the first column of the above table is that firefighter’s reference pay.
2. The amount of pensionable pay of a part-time firefighter for the purpose of the first column of the table must be the whole time equivalent amount.
PPS 2015 scheme rates
| Pensionable Earnings | Contribution Rate |
| £27,000 or less | 12.44% |
| More than £27,000 but less than £60,000 | 13.44% |
| £60,000 or more | 13.78% |
1. Members who are ineligible for ill health benefits have a reduced contribution rate.
2. The amount of pensionable earnings of a part-time officer for the purpose of the first column of the table must be the whole time equivalent amount.
| Basic annual salary | Contribution Rate |
| £27,000 or less | 11.00% |
| More than £27,000 but less than £60,000 | 12.05% |
| £60,000 or more | 12.75% |
1. Members who are ineligible for ill health benefits have a reduced contribution rate.
2. The full time equivalent basic annual salary is used in respect of a part-time officer for the purpose of the first column of the table.
| Basic annual salary | Contribution Rate |
| £27,000 or less | 14.25% |
| More than £27,000 but less than £60,000 | 14.25% |
| £60,000 or more | 15.05% |
1. Members who are ineligible for ill health benefits have a reduced contribution rate.
2. The full time equivalent basic annual salary is used in respect of a part-time officer for the purpose of the first column of the table.
When you pay into the pension scheme your employer does too, helping to build your future pension.
Every three years, an independent actuary calculates how much your employer should contribute to the scheme to pay the balance of the cost of providing your benefits. The amount will vary, but usually, you contribute approximately one third of the scheme’s costs and your employer contributes the rest.
Tax relief
Contributions are deducted from your salary before you pay tax. So, if you pay tax at the rate of 20%, every £1 that you contribute to the scheme only costs you 80p net.
