NI firefighters' pension bands change from 1 May 2026

If you work in the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and pay into the 2015 firefighters’ pension scheme, the way your monthly contributions are set is changing. From 1 May 2026, updated earnings bands and rates take effect under new regulations made by the Department of Health, with the Department of Finance’s consent (Statutory Rules 2026 No. 73). We’ll walk you through what this means in plain English so you can check your payslip with confidence.

Here’s the headline change you’ll feel most: your contribution band will be picked using your actual annual pensionable pay. Until now, retained or volunteer firefighters looked to ‘reference pay’, and part‑time regular firefighters were compared to a whole‑time equivalent. From 1 May 2026, those shortcuts are switched off. Your own actual figure will place you in a band.

When we say ‘pensionable pay’, we’re talking about the pay that counts for pension calculations under the scheme rules. It isn’t always the same as what lands in your bank after deductions. Payroll uses this figure both to set your contribution rate and to work out your future benefits, so it’s the number that matters for banding.

Think of the bands as pay ranges on a ladder. Each range has a single percentage rate attached. Once your annual pensionable pay sits on a rung, that rung’s rate applies to all of your pensionable pay unless your pay changes enough to move you to another rung. There’s no need to guess the percentages-employers will apply the official table from the regulations.

A quick pair of examples helps. A retained firefighter with £12,000 in actual annual pensionable pay will now be assessed on £12,000 rather than a reference figure, which could shift their band. A part‑time regular on £22,500 pensionable pay will be assessed on £22,500 rather than a whole‑time equivalent, again potentially moving bands. The precise thresholds and rates are set out in the statutory table mentioned above.

Dates matter for your records. The previous approach applies to service from 1 April 2015 up to and including 30 April 2026. The new bands and the ‘actual pay’ rule begin on 1 May 2026. Payroll should switch you over automatically, but it’s wise to check your May payslip and HR update in case your deduction changes.

From the 2027/28 scheme year, the band limits will rise automatically if there’s a year‑on‑year increase in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for the previous September. If September CPI were 4 per cent, each band limit would go up by 4 per cent at the start of the scheme year, rounded up to the nearest £1. The regulations also allow the Department to use another UK prices index in future if it decides to, but the same September‑to‑September check would apply.

CPI, published by the UK Statistics Authority, tracks how prices change across a typical shopping basket. By linking the band limits to CPI each year from 2027/28, the rules aim to stop frozen thresholds pulling members into higher contribution rates just because of inflation. This matters for fairness: your rate should reflect real pay rather than price‑level drift.

Who is covered? All active members of the 2015 firefighters’ scheme in Northern Ireland, including retained, volunteer and part‑time regular firefighters, will see their band determined by actual pensionable pay from May. According to the government’s note to the regulations, no impact is expected on the private or voluntary sectors. The Department of Health sealed the rules on 1 April 2026 after consultation and laying a report before the Assembly, with the Department of Finance consenting the same day.

What should you do now? Check the ‘pensionable pay’ line on your payslip or ask payroll so you can estimate your May contribution. If you sit near a band edge, small changes in hours or allowances could move you between bands. For the definitive percentages and thresholds, see Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland 2026 No. 73 on legislation.gov.uk, and speak to your scheme administrator for personal questions-we explain the rules here, but we don’t provide financial advice.