The Firefighters' Pension Scheme Explained
A plain guide for firefighters employed by fire and rescue services in England. What you pay in, what you get out, and the one rule that decides whether you can combine it with anything else.
The short answer
- The Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2015 (England) is career average (care), defined benefit.
- You build 1/59.7th of CARE pensionable pay each year.
- Normal pension age is 60.
- It is unfunded, so you cannot transfer it to a personal pension.
Firefighters' pensions at a glance
| Schemes in play | 1992, 2006 and 2015 |
| Scheme type | Defined benefit |
| Which applies | Depends on when you joined |
| Worth transferring out? | Not possible to a personal pension |
| Main trap | Assuming the schemes offer the same deal |
Can you combine it?
Because this is an unfunded public service scheme, you cannot move it into a personal pension or any other defined contribution plan. MoneyHelper puts it plainly: in an unfunded public sector scheme you can only transfer to another defined benefit scheme. So the question “should I combine this with my other pots” has already been answered for you by law.
If safeguarded benefits are worth more than £30,000, you are required by law to take regulated advice from a pension transfer specialist before you can transfer. That is a legal requirement, not a suggestion, and the scheme you are transferring out of must see evidence of it.
This is the question most people arrive with, so it is answered first rather than buried. Your old pots from other jobs are a different matter, and that is covered below.
How the pension builds up
The Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2015 (England) is career average (care), defined benefit. Each year you build 1/59.7th of CARE pensionable pay each year. Your account is revalued each year in line with average weekly earnings.
Career average means each year is banked separately and then revalued. Your final salary does not set the whole pension, which is what changed from the older schemes.
Normal pension age is 60. Taking benefits before then reduces them permanently, because the scheme expects to pay you for longer.
What it costs you
Member contribution rates are tiered by pay, so check the current bands on the scheme's own site. That is high compared with most schemes, and it buys a correspondingly strong guarantee.
Contributions attract income tax relief, so the cost to your take-home pay is less than the headline percentage suggests. Your employer pays in alongside you.
The highest contributions here, and what they buy
Firefighter contribution rates are tiered by pay.
What it buys is a normal pension age of 60 in a physically demanding role, and a guaranteed income for life. The high rate reflects the earlier pension age rather than a worse deal.
Your account is revalued each year.
Because the contribution is high, opting out looks tempting during a pay squeeze. It is also the most expensive thing you can do, since you lose the employer's much larger share.
What a 13.2% contribution buys
A firefighter on £37,000 builds £37,000 divided by 59.7, which is about £620 of annual pension in that year.
That is a large monthly figure and the most common reason members consider opting out.
What it funds is a pension age of 60 rather than State Pension age, in a role where working to 67 is not realistic for most.
That is a regulated question and we are not pension advisers. We introduce you to one who is. The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by that firm.
Ask us about your Firefighters' Pension WhatsApp us
What you would be giving up
These are the four things people lose sight of when a transfer value lands on the doormat.
Opting out is the costliest saving available
You give up the employer's much larger contribution and the guarantee, to save your own share.
It cannot be transferred to a pot
The scheme is unfunded, so a transfer to a personal pension is not permitted.
Fitness and role changes affect the plan
The scheme is built around a pension age of 60. Changes to role or capability need thinking through against that.
Legacy scheme benefits differ
1992 and 2006 scheme benefits work differently from 2015 benefits and are not interchangeable.
The pot stays invested
A combined pot remains invested, so its value can fall as well as rise. You may get back less than was transferred in, and that risk sits with you, not the scheme.
The pots that are worth reviewing
Most people who work for fire and rescue authorities in England also have older pots from earlier jobs. Those are the ones worth looking at. They are often small, forgotten, and sitting in expensive or poorly performing funds.
Combining those can cut charges and give you one place to look. It carries its own risks, covered above, and it needs advice from a firm authorised to give it.
Have other pots alongside your Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2015 (England) pension?
Old workplace pots from previous jobs are a different question from your scheme pension. Those are often worth reviewing. We will introduce you to a firm that can advise on them.
The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to. Mon to Sat, 9am to 8pm.
Read next
Retirement cost guides for the areas where most of our clients live, plus the pensions hub.
Check broadband before you make an offer
Broadband speeds can vary street by street, so check the exact address before you commit. Ofcom's free checker shows which broadband speeds and mobile coverage are available at any UK property.
Check broadband at an address (Ofcom)
Want all your bills in one?
We can introduce you to a specialist who can combine your mobile, broadband and utilities into one bill. There's no fee for the introduction.
We don't provide these services ourselves. Switching household bills is not a regulated financial service, so FCA protections and the Financial Ombudsman do not apply. We'll only pass your details to the specialist if you ask us to. See our privacy notice.
Common questions
Can I combine my Firefighters pension with my other pensions?
No. Because this is an unfunded public service scheme, you cannot move it into a personal pension or any other defined contribution plan. MoneyHelper puts it plainly: in an unfunded public sector scheme you can only transfer to another defined benefit scheme. So the question “should I combine this with my other pots” has already been answered for you by law.
Is the Firefighters' Pension Scheme 2015 (England) a good pension?
It is career average (care), defined benefit. Your employer carries the investment risk, not you. Each year you build 1/59.7th of CARE pensionable pay each year. That guarantee is the part people undervalue, because a pot with a number on it feels more real than an income promise.
What happens to my other old workplace pots?
Those are a separate question, and usually the more useful one. Pots from previous jobs can often be reviewed and sometimes combined. That is where we can introduce you to a firm that advises. Your Firefighters scheme pension normally stays exactly where it is.
Do I have to take advice before transferring?
If safeguarded benefits are worth more than £30,000, you are required by law to take regulated advice from a pension transfer specialist before you can transfer. That is a legal requirement, not a suggestion, and the scheme you are transferring out of must see evidence of it.
When can I take my Firefighters pension?
The normal pension age for this scheme is 60. You can usually take benefits earlier, but they are reduced to reflect the longer period they will be paid for. Taking a scheme pension early is a permanent decision.
What does it cost me to be in the scheme?
Member contribution rates are tiered by pay, so check the current bands on the scheme's own site. That is high compared with most schemes, and it buys a correspondingly strong guarantee.
Why do firefighters pay so much more than other public servants?
The scheme has a normal pension age of 60 rather than State Pension age, so it pays out for longer. The higher contribution rate funds that earlier start, not a lesser benefit.
Is it worth opting out if money is tight?
It is the most costly saving available, because you give up the employer contribution and the guarantee to save your own share. Speak to the scheme first, and to a regulated adviser, before opting out.
Does That's Family Finance advise on my scheme pension?
No. We hold protection permissions only. We do not advise on pensions and we are not pension transfer specialists. We introduce you to a separately authorised firm that is. The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to.
Service across more than one firefighters' scheme?
The 1992, 2006 and 2015 schemes are not the same deal. Which you are in matters more than most people realise. Tell us what you hold and we will put you in front of a regulated pension adviser. If combining is the wrong move, they will tell you that.
Talk it through with usWhatsApp us
Open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 8pm
Sources and how to check
- GOV.UK, firefighters pension scheme member contribution structure
- The Firefighters Pension Scheme (England) Regulations 2014
- MoneyHelper, transferring your defined benefit pension
Figures were checked in August 2026. Scheme rules and pay bands change, usually each April, so check the scheme’s own page before you act.
Pensions go to a separately authorised firm we have vetted. The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to.