Transparency data

SAB meeting minutes: 14 October 2025

Updated 27 March 2026

Applies to England and Wales

46th Meeting, 14 October 2025, 10:30 - 14:30

Draft Minutes

Members present:

Independent Chair: Gaon Hart

Secretariat: Chris Moore

Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW):

• Paul Turpin

• John Partington

• Melanie Warnes

• Sarah Lumley

Police Superintendents Association (PSA)

• Dan Murphy

Chief Police Officers Staff Association (CPOSA)

• Shabir Hussain

• Gareth Wilson

National Police Chief s Council (NPCC)

• Philip Wells

• Vickie lambert

• Claire Neale

• Kevin Courtney

• Yemoja Rowe

Home Office (HO)

• Tom Appleyard

• Simon Primmer

National Association of Retired Police Officers (NARPO)

• Steve Wilcock

Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS)

• Stewart Carle

Department of Justice, Northern Ireland (DoJNI)

• Antonia Hoskins

Police Federation Northern Ireland (PFNI)

• Damien Walsh

• Liam Kelly

Scottish Police Federation (SPF)

• Lorna Robertson

First Actuarial

• Craig Moran

Government Actuary Department (GAD)

• Michael Scanlon

Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA)

• Alan Wilkinson

• Finn Mackenzie

Welcome and Apologies

1. The Chair welcomed members and introduced himself. Apologies were received from Michael Hanna (Superintendents Association of Northern Ireland). John Partington (PFEW) confirmed PFEW s return to SABEW as a member.

Minutes of 01 April 2025

2. Liam Kelly (PFNI) noted two amendments. The Chair approved the minutes subject to those changes. Secretarial note: amendments made.

Action Point 1: Secretariat to publish the finalised 01 April 2025 minutes on the webpage.

Action Log of 01 April 2025.

3. The Chair noted all actions had been addressed within today s discussion and proposed closing them to start afresh. Members agreed.

Deferred Members Pension Age Alignment and Guidance

4. The Chair raised the issue of deferred members whose normal pension age aligns with State Pension Age, unlike active members (age 60), focusing on those deferring 2015 Scheme benefits after leaving service on or after age 55.

5. Dan Murphy (PSA) explained that delaying CARE pension payment after 55 can increase actuarial reduction (as this is measured from State Pension Age, rather than from age 60), creating an apparent anomaly.

6. Shabir Hussain (CPOSA) said employers had updated guidance, but HO member guidance has not yet been revised.

7. Simon Primmer (HO) agreed to review and update the official guidance where appropriate.

8. Michael Scanlon (GAD) confirmed relevant data is being gathered via the 2024 valuation, with findings expected by March 2026 (quality dependent on force returns).

Action Point 2: HO to review and, where appropriate, update 2015 Scheme member guidance on deferring benefits after age 55.

Action Point 3: Michael Scanlon (GAD) to analyse valuation data and share findings by March 2026.

Pensions Dashboard Update

9. The Chair noted the Pensions Dashboard is due to go live on 31 October.

10. Claire Neale (NPCC) said most forces are ready to connect, with some delays due to administrator changes or testing; TPR has been informed and will take no action. This phase is about connection to the central architecture, not public use.

11. Simon Primmer (HO) noted the DWP-led dashboard may initially increase member queries due to its generic layout.

12. The Chair invited members to bring recurring issues to the next meeting.

Action Point 4: Members to share any implementation issues or user concerns from the dashboard rollout at the next meeting.

CPI Mismatch and Annual Allowance

13. The Chair introduced an update on the Home Office s draft consultation addressing CPI timing differences between pension revaluation and annual allowance calculations. The consultation is expected to run for 10 12 weeks once ministerial approval is received.

14. Dan Murphy (PSA) highlighted the financial impact of delay.

15. Shabir Hussain (CPOSA) sought clarity on retrospectivity and noted low inflation is an ideal time to implement change.

16. Gareth Wilson (CPOSA) reminded members the issue had already slipped once and urged delivery before April 2026.

17. Members agreed the matter is urgent; HO confirmed it remains a live priority.

Action Point 5: HO to update at the next meeting on the CPI mismatch consultation, or sooner if published. 

SAB Effectiveness and Resourcing

18. Shabir Hussain (CPOSA) asked whether SAB still has access to independent legal/actuarial advice as previously permitted by an HO letter.

19. The Chair noted pooled advice could reduce duplication across HO, employers and scheme managers, and suggested exploring a shared funding pot.

20. Paul Turpin (PFEW) sought clearer guidance to local pension boards, better data returns and faster progress on legacy items.

21. Dan Murphy (PSA) supported a funding pot but said contributors would expect stronger oversight of SAB priorities and clarity on how any legal instructions are set and shared.

22. Claire Neale (NPCC) outlined that the Firefighters Scheme model funds legal, actuarial and secretariat support, so SAB would need to define scope.

23. The Chair favoured starting with a limited pilot (legal/actuarial only).

24. John Partington (PFEW) said the government should fund this rather than members.

25. Philip Wells (NPCC) recalled ministerial advice that funding should not come directly from HO.

26. The Chair agreed to raise the issue again with HO.

27. Craig Moran (First Actuarial) and Tom Appleyard (HO) described the Firefighters employer levy model (paid by FRAs).

28. Kevin Cortney (NPCC) confirmed the levy is employer-funded, not member-funded.

Action Point 6: Tom Appleyard (HO) to liaise with the LGPS/Firefighters Scheme team and circulate details of that funding model (incl. cost per member and source) for SAB consideration.

Action Point 7: Chair to raise with HO the feasibility of funding independent legal/actuarial advice for SAB.

Action Point 8: All member organisations to propose potential funding models (e.g., levy/shared contributions/employer-funded) ahead of the next meeting.

SAB Membership and Terms of Reference (ToR)

29. Claire Neale (NPCC) proposed reviewing ToR and membership, citing imbalance between employer and member reps and the framework s age (set under PABEW).

30. Shabir Hussain (CPOSA) and John Partington (PFEW) felt SAB works by consensus, but accepted a review is due under the ToR.

31. The Chair confirmed the last review was 2014 and agreed to form a short working group.

32. Alan Wilkinson (SPPA) confirmed the desire for Scottish engagement; the Chair welcomed non-SAB members to contribute acknowledging that decisions priority will be given to members though, but where possible, it would be useful to have all views.

Action Point 9: All organisations to nominate a representative to the SAB ToR Working Group by writing to the Secretariat before the next meeting (non-SAB members may also join). The group will review ToR and membership structure and report back.

SAB Work Plan and Risk Register

33. Claire Neale (NPCC) proposed a SAB work plan aligned with HO timelines (including the 2024 valuation) and suggested a risk register to track issues and escalation.

34. The Chair supported alignment and proposed discussing the risk register at the next meeting.

Action Point 10: Members to consider introducing a SAB risk register and discuss at the next meeting, alongside alignment of organisational and HO work plans.

Remedy Progress Scheme Manager Updates

35. The Chair introduced PFEW s proposal to write to scheme managers for updates on McCloud/Remedy statements (RSS) to understand delays and support resolution.

36. Shabir Hussain (CPOSA) noted local pension boards hold primary responsibility but agreed oversight is useful.

37. Claire Neale (NPCC) said monthly data collection exists, though returns are uneven.

38. Philip Wells (NPCC) urged coordination with NPCC processes to avoid duplication.

39. Paul Turpin (PFEW) and Stuart Kehily (PSA) supported direct engagement.

40. The Chair agreed to coordinate with Claire Neale and issue a letter seeking updates.

Action Point 11: Chair to liaise with Claire Neale (NPCC) and issue a letter to scheme managers requesting updates on outstanding RSS cases and completion plans.

Parental Leave Pension Contributions and Flexibility

41. John Partington (PFEW) flagged difficulties with the current rule requiring elections within 3 months of return and repayment within 6 months.

42. Paul Turpin (PFEW) confirmed this is set in legislation and highlighted inconsistent employer communication.

43. Craig Moran (First Actuarial) cautioned about record-keeping/fairness if repayments were open-ended.

44. The Chair supported exploring education improvements and potential legislative changes.

45. Claire Neale (NPCC) agreed to raise the education issue at the NPCC Scheme Manager and Pension Lead Forum.

46. Simon Primmer (HO) agreed to consider the legislative aspect and consult GAD, who indicated valuation impact would be negligible.

Action Point 12: Claire Neale (NPCC) to raise improved member communication on repayment options at the next Scheme Manager and Pension Lead Forum.

Action Point 13: Simon Primmer (HO) to explore extending repayment timeframes and report back to the next meeting.

Compulsory Retirement Dates (CRDS) Inspecting Ranks

47. John Partington (PFEW) raised an anomaly: inspectors and chief inspectors outside London have a CRA of 60 (others 55), affecting commutation, with inconsistent demotion practices to maximise benefits.

48. The Chair agreed to write to HO to place this on record for future consideration.

Action Point 14: Chair to write to HO highlighting the CRA anomaly for inspecting ranks and request it be noted for future review.

Regulation 36 Consultation

49. The Chair introduced two separate Regulation 36 consultations are planned the first addressing the principle, and the second covering the technical implementation.

50. Simon Primmer (HO) advised that preparatory work is underway, with the first consultation expected to launch by Quarter 1, noting pressures on a small team.

51. The Chair agreed that SAB will continue to monitor progress and keep the item under review.

Action Point 15: Chair to include Regulation 36 consultation progress as a standing agenda item for the next SAB meeting.

Updates from Scotland and Northern Ireland

52. Antonia Hopkins (DOJNI) reported that Northern Ireland s retrospective arrangements equivalent to Regulation 36 are progressing, with a response due by mid-November and consideration by the Justice Committee later that month.

53. Alan Wilkinson (SPPA) confirmed that Scotland will consult on retrospective ill-health provisions in November 2025, with regulations to be laid before February 2026 ahead of Scottish elections. Affected members will have six months to buy back contributions, repayable over five years. Scotland will also consult on CPI date alignment during the same period.

54. The Chair thanked both and noted alignment of work across UK jurisdictions.

Any Other Business

55. The Chair thanked members for their contributions and said the extended format had enabled fuller discussion.

56. Members were invited to send feedback via the Secretariat on meeting length, level of detail, preferences for future venues and invited all to complete the proposed engagement survey that he has put together with the HO.

57. He confirmed that future minutes will be shorter and outcome-focused, summarising key decisions rather than detailed discussion. The SAB also agreed that updates should be provided in a timely fashion and not saved for the next meeting.