Firefighter Pensioner Newsletter - 19 August 2026
Welcome to the latest edition of the SPPA’s member newsletter. In this edition we provide an update on the annual pension increase, 2015 Remedy and Matthews second option exercise.
2015 Remedy
We are making good progress with issuing Remediable Service Statements (RSS) to eligible members. Over 60% of RSS have now been issued. We are working to deliver the remaining statements by the end of the year.
We are expecting to see a steady delivery of RSS throughout the summer with the final cases taking a little longer because these involve more complex calculations. We will continue to communicate directly with all members who are affected.
We are very sorry for the delays and thank you for your patience as we continue to make progress with delivering RSS and provide eligible members with a Remedy choice. Please rest assured that any additional benefits you are entitled to because of your Remedy choice will be backdated and interest applied.
When you receive your RSS, we have resources available on our website to help you understand your RSS.
Contribution adjustment recalculation for tax due to additional income
Tax relief on your Remedy contributions adjustment is calculated using the marginal rate of income tax applicable to each Remedy year in which you contributed, together with the standard personal allowance at the time.
If you received additional income in any of these years that led to you paying a higher rate of tax, you may request a recalculation. You can do this by contacting us via Engage, our online member portal.
When we receive your request, we will ask you to provide evidence, such as yearly tax returns and P60s for the affected Remedy years, so please make sure to have this available. When we have the supporting evidence, it will normally take a further 7-10 days to complete the recalculation.
If you have yet to make a repayment decision, we will send you an updated ABS-RSS. If you have already repaid your adjustment, then any over payments will be returned to you.
Matthews second option
Following successful testing, SPPA have now started issuing information packs to eligible firefighters and this will continue in batches until completion.
The information pack will contain:
- a cover letter which explains the process and what you need to do
- guidance that provides additional information about this exercise
- a statement which outlines your purchasable service, the cost of buying back this service and the payment methods available
- an election form for you to complete and return
We apologise for the delay and thank you for your continued patience.
Find out more about the Matthews second option exercise on our website.
Annual Pension Increase
An increase of 3.8% was applied to Firefighter pensions from 7 April 2026.
If you were in receipt of your pension for less than a year on 7 April, you would only receive a proportion of the annual increase.
Find out more about the annual pension increase on our website.
Keeping your information up to date
Have you moved house or updated your details recently? You can login to Engage, our online pension portal to:
- view your pension documents
- update your personal details
- update your bank details
Help us improve our services
Have you contacted us recently? We would like to hear about your experience.
Your feedback will help us understand how well our services are meeting your needs and identify areas for improvement.
If you would like to share your experience, please complete our short survey.
As part of the survey, you will also have the option to register your interest in taking part in future user research. If you choose to sign up, we will keep your details secure and may invite you to participate in activities such as workshops, interviews, or testing of new services and forms.