Northern Ireland police pensions: ill-health options 2026

If you served in the 2015 Northern Ireland police pension scheme and were told you were not eligible for ill‑health benefits, read this closely. From 1 February 2026, a three‑month options exercise opens so certain members can apply once for ill‑health cover that looks back to past service between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2024. This change is set out in law made by the Department of Justice and published on legislation.gov.uk, so the dates and steps below are not just guidance-they’re the actual rules.

What has changed is straightforward to describe: the Police Pensions (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 insert a new Part 4A into the 2015 Regulations. With consent from the Department of Finance, the Department of Justice is creating a time‑limited route to elect for ill‑health benefits if you were previously turned down under regulation 33(5). Although the instrument only comes into operation on 1 February 2026, it has effect for service back to 1 April 2015 so the look‑back years can count if you opt in.

Who can take part is defined in plain terms. You must have been an active member of the 2015 scheme at some point between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2024 and have been deemed ineligible for ill‑health benefits by the scheme manager under regulation 33(5). A previous 33(5) decision will not block you now: the new rules say that determination does not prevent you making an election under Part 4A. Deferred members can also be in scope if they meet these conditions.

There are clear exclusions to avoid wasted effort. The options exercise does not apply to anyone in the older “existing police pension scheme” (as defined in the Regulations). It also does not apply if, after being found ineligible under 33(5), you have since retired under the 2015 scheme; in other words, retirees are out of scope but deferred members are not. Standard transitional provisions do not apply to this Chapter either, so rely on the rules set out here rather than assuming earlier transition rules will help.

Here is how the window works. The options exercise opens on 1 February 2026 and closes on 30 April 2026. Within two weeks of 1 February-so by 14 February 2026-the scheme manager must make key information available to you and invite you to elect. That information will explain who may qualify, the conditions for payment, the window dates, where and how to apply, the benefits available if you are accepted, and the deadline for paying contributions. Your application must be in writing, include all relevant information, and state that you agree to pay any revised contributions. Late applications cannot be accepted, and doing nothing will be treated as deciding not to opt in.

If you are accepted, you agree to pay revised contributions for each scheme year in the 2015–2024 period. In practice, that is the difference between what you actually paid at the reduced member contribution rate and what you would have paid at the full member contribution rate for those years. The full rates set in the Regulations are 12.44% for pensionable earnings of £27,000 or less, 13.44% for earnings over £27,000 and under £60,000, and 13.78% for earnings over £60,000. You can pay in instalments, but the total must be cleared within five years of the date the scheme manager issues your written terms.

A quick explainer to help you budget. For each look‑back year, take your pensionable earnings and apply the full rate above that matches your earnings band, then subtract what you actually contributed at the reduced rate. Add those yearly differences together: that total is your revised contributions bill. Ask your payroll or pension administrator for your exact past earnings and contributions so you can check the figures before committing.

There are important safeguards and consequences. Only one election is allowed under Part 4A. If you fail to pay any part of the revised contributions in line with the agreed schedule, your election lapses, anything you have paid toward the revised contributions must be returned, and the ordinary Chapter 4 rules apply to the relevant period as if you had not elected. That means careful planning is essential before you sign.

What you receive if accepted is alignment with the scheme’s usual ill‑health route. Meeting the new Part 4A requirements makes you eligible for ill‑health benefits on the same terms as members covered by regulation 33(6). In simple terms, you would be assessed and, if eligible, provided with the ill‑health benefits available in the 2015 scheme without being penalised by the earlier 33(5) decision.

Reading the small print builds confidence. This instrument was made on 28 November 2025, sealed by the Minister of Justice, Naomi Long, with the Department of Finance’s consent on 28 November 2025, and it comes into operation on 1 February 2026. It also inserts a clear definition of the “2015 Northern Ireland police pension scheme” into the interpretation section. The Department of Justice confirms it consulted affected representatives under section 22 of the Public Service Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2014, and no impact assessment was prepared because no cost to business or the voluntary sector is expected. As always, this guide is for learning; speak to your scheme manager for case‑specific advice and keep copies of everything you send during the three‑month window.