As well as making your regular contributions to your firefighters' pension, you can buy Additional Pension to increase the amount you'll receive in retirement.

Additional Pension covers an increase in pension for yourself AND for any pension payable to your dependants (spouse, partner or dependent children) after your death.

You can only buy Additional Pension if you’re an actively contributing member of either the Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2015 and haven’t reached your normal pension age.

The cost of purchasing Additional Pension depends on:

• your age at the date of your election
• the amount you wish to purchase
• whether you’re paying by lump sum or regular contributions

Try our Firefighters' Additional Pension calculator to see how much you would pay

Maximum purchase amounts

Additional Pension can be bought in amounts of annual pension of £250 up to a current maximum of £6500. This maximum amount is index linked and may change in the future.

If you choose to take out more than one contract, we’ll take into account the value of all of your contracts to ensure you don’t exceed the maximum allowable amount. Tax relief is given at source on regular contributions and can be reclaimed from HMRC if you pay by lump sum.

Lump sum payments

An election to buy Additional Pension with a lump sum payment must be made within 12 months of the date on which you become employed as a firefighter.

Regular contributions

You can make regular payments from your salary through the PAYE system and you'll receive tax relief each time a payment is made.

You have to commit to paying the regular Additional Pension contributions for at least one year and the contract must finish before you reach your normal pension age.

It’s your responsibility to ensure your employer is deducting the correct amount from your salary. If you identify an error, you should contact them immediately.

Retirement options that affect Additional Pension

There are a number of circumstances that affect the amount of Additional Pension payable to you. If you chose to receive your pension early, your Additional Pension will be reduced as it is being paid earlier.

If you continue to work beyond your normal pension age, your Additional Pension will be increased to reflect the later than expected payment.

Benefits payable on death

If you've been paying Additional Pension contributions for 12 months your dependants would receive survivor benefits. For example a spouse would receive 50% of what you would have received. The dependant's pension would be paid in full, even if you haven't completed all the payments, as long as you were in good health when the contract was taken out.

How to apply

When you use our Additional Pension calculator it will create your estimate and produce a printable application form. If you'd like a formal quote please sign the completed application form and return it to SPPA. We'll then check the figures and either make arrangements to collect your lump sum or forward the details to your payroll department so they can start taking deductions.