England sets new Firefighters’ pension bands for 2026
From 1 April 2026, firefighters in England will see updated pension contribution bands and a new way of working out which band you are in. The regulations move the scheme to assess contributions using what you actually earn in the job, rather than a full‑time equivalent figure. Here’s the plain‑English guide to what is changing and why it matters for your payslip. (gov.uk)
The headline change is a five‑tier structure with rates applied to your actual pensionable earnings. Up to £36,130 you pay 11.09%. From £36,131 to £45,407 it is 12.59%. From £45,408 to £66,908 it is 14.09%. From £66,909 to £190,691 it is 15.59%. Over £190,692 it is 17.09%. These rates apply from 1 April 2026. (gov.uk)
Why update the bands at all? The Government Actuary’s Department projected that, under the previous structure, the scheme would collect an average of 13.0% from members between 2024 and 2027, just under the 13.2% target set for the 2015 scheme. The new five‑tier model is designed to meet the 13.2% target from April 2026. (gov.uk)
For part‑time and retained (on‑call) firefighters, the key change is fairness. Your band will now be based on your actual pensionable pay for that employment, not a whole‑time equivalent salary. Officials noted this mirrors approaches in the Civil Service and LGPS and helps avoid higher bands purely because of working pattern. (gov.uk)
What this looks like in real life: if your whole‑time equivalent is £50,000 but you work 0.5 FTE and actually earn £25,000, your contributions are assessed on £25,000. On the new bands that sits in tier 1 rather than tier 3, because the calculation follows your actual pay. That is the practical impact of moving away from whole‑time equivalent banding. (gov.uk)
From April 2027, there is a second piece to remember. The contribution bands will be updated automatically each 1 April by the Consumer Prices Index, using the CPI figure from the previous September. This is intended to stop people drifting into higher tiers because of inflation rather than real pay growth. (gov.uk)
How your rate is set across the year matters too. Your employer works out the correct rate at the start of each scheme year on 1 April, and again when you join the scheme. If your pay changes materially mid‑year, there is flexibility to move you to a different band so your contributions stay proportionate to what you actually earn. (gov.uk)
A quick glossary helps. Annual pensionable pay is the pay in your contract that counts for the pension, including pensionable allowances and excluding items the rules say do not count. Actual pensionable earnings simply means the pensionable pay you really receive in that job during the scheme year. Whole‑time equivalent is the salary a full‑time person would earn in the role; this is what the scheme is moving away from for deciding your tier. Regulation 110 in the 2014 Regulations is the rule that sets member contribution bands-the part now being amended. (legislation.gov.uk)
What to check on your April payslip: look for the pensionable pay figure payroll is using, find the tier your earnings fall into, and confirm the percentage shown matches that tier. If you hold more than one contract, the banding is worked out separately for each job because the assessment is based on the actual pensionable pay you receive in that employment. (gov.uk)
The legal bit, simplified. The Government is changing the 2015 Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Regulations to update contribution bands from 1 April 2026 and to build in annual CPI indexation of the thresholds from 1 April 2027. This sits alongside the scheme’s existing rules and is intended to keep contributions fair, sustainable and understandable for members. (gov.uk)