Police Pension Scheme 2015 (CARE)
The current police pension scheme — Career Average Revalued Earnings, accrual rate 1/55.3, revaluation in service and deferment, age-linked retirement.
Unofficial independent resource — always verify with official sources (College of Policing, your force, PFEW).
CARE basics
The Police Pension Scheme 2015 — often called "PPS 2015" or "the CARE scheme" — replaced the 2006 scheme for new entrants from 1 April 2015 onwards. It is a Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) scheme, meaning each year of pensionable service earns a slice of pension based on that year's pensionable pay, rather than on final salary.
Accrual rate
The accrual rate is 1/55.3 of pensionable earnings per year. A simple worked example:
- Year 1: pensionable pay £36,000 → annual pension earned that year = £36,000 / 55.3 = £651
- Year 2: pensionable pay £38,000 → annual pension earned that year = £38,000 / 55.3 = £687
- ... and so on for every year of service.
Each year's slice is added to your accrued pension pot. The pot is revalued each year — in active service by CPI + 1.25 percentage points; in deferment (after you leave) by CPI alone.
Member contributions
Member contribution rates vary by salary band. Contributions are deducted before tax. Bands are published by the Home Office and the scheme administrator. As of recent determinations, contributions sit roughly between 12% and 15% of pensionable pay depending on band — confirm the precise current rate with your scheme administrator and your most recent pay slip.
Retirement ages and options
- Deferred Pension Age (DPA): linked to State Pension Age (currently 66 and rising under existing legislation). Take the full unreduced pension at DPA.
- Early Retirement Pension Age (ERPA): 60. Active members can take the pension at 60 with an actuarial reduction reflecting the longer time it will be paid.
- Ill-health retirement: medical retirement on Lower Tier (permanently disabled from policing duties) or Upper Tier (permanently disabled from any regular employment), each with different enhancements. Process is medically-led with an Independent Medical Referee.
- Partial retirement: take some of your pension while continuing to work — rules differ by scheme; check the administrator.
- Lump sum: commutation of part of the annual pension into a tax-free lump sum, at the published commutation rate.
McCloud interaction
The McCloud remedy moves all affected officers back into their legacy scheme (PPS 1987 or NPPS 2006) for the remedy period (1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022). From 1 April 2022 onwards, all officers accrue under PPS 2015. At retirement, officers affected by McCloud will be offered a choice of legacy or CARE benefits for the remedy period — see our McCloud page.
What to do
- Read your most recent annual benefit statement.
- Check your contribution rate on your latest pay slip.
- If you are considering opting out, transferring out, or any major change — speak to your scheme administrator first, then to a regulated independent financial adviser.
- For pension calculations, use the scheme administrator's calculator (see our calculator guide).
Official sources for the 2015 CARE scheme
BlueLineHub is independent and unofficial. Always verify with the authoritative source below.
- Verify on official source
Police Pension Regulations 2015
The statutory instrument that established the 2015 CARE scheme.
Last checked: May 2026 - Verify on official source
Police Pension Scheme — gov.uk
Home Office published pension scheme information.
Last checked: May 2026 - Verify on official source
PFEW Pensions — 2015 CARE
Federation member-facing guidance on the CARE scheme.
Last checked: May 2026
Frequently asked
- What does CARE mean for police pensions?
- CARE stands for Career Average Revalued Earnings. Instead of pension being calculated on your final salary (as in the 1987 and 2006 schemes), each year of service earns a slice of pension based on that year's pensionable pay. The slices are revalued each year (in active service by CPI + 1.25%; in deferment by CPI) until you retire.
- What is the accrual rate?
- 1/55.3 of pensionable earnings per year of service. For a constable earning £42,000 in a given year, that year accrues £42,000 × (1/55.3) = approximately £759 of annual pension, revalued each subsequent year.
- What are the contribution rates?
- Member contribution rates under PPS 2015 vary by salary band and are reviewed periodically. Contributions are deducted before tax (i.e. you receive tax relief at your marginal rate). The current bands are published by the Home Office and listed on the scheme administrator's website. Check your latest pay slip to see the rate currently applied.
- When can I take a PPS 2015 pension?
- PPS 2015's Normal Pension Age is linked to State Pension Age (currently 66 and rising under existing legislation). However, active members have an Early Retirement Pension Age of 60 — you can take the pension from 60 with an actuarial reduction. Ill-health retirement and partial retirement options also exist. The exact figures depend on accrued service; confirm with your scheme administrator.
- How does CARE interact with the McCloud remedy?
- For the remedy period (1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022), affected officers were moved back into their legacy scheme. At retirement, those officers will be given a choice of legacy or CARE benefits for the remedy period. From 1 April 2022 onwards, all serving officers accrue under PPS 2015 going forward. See our dedicated McCloud page.
BlueLineHub is independent and unofficial. This is not financial or pension advice. Contact your scheme administrator first and consider regulated independent financial advice for personal decisions.