What is the Judicial Review in the Firefighters Pension Scheme and does it affect the Civil Service Pension Scheme?

Last updated: 01 Jun 2020

The Judicial Review led by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is challenging the Government’s continued ‘pause’ of the valuation of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme for the cost sharing mechanism. This policy has been adopted by the Government across the public sector and will therefore impact all the public sector pension schemes including the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Prospect are an interested party to the Judicial Review as a trade union recognised for collective bargaining in the Civil Service and Fire & Rescue Service.

As an interested party we have received a copy of the pleadings that have been submitted. Having carefully reviewed the pleadings we have concluded that there no further matters of law or fact that we need to add and in discussions with the FBU have been keen to stress submissions should only be made in that situation. We will continue to monitor developments and update our members on the case.

In February 2020 we wrote to the Chief secretary to the Treasury urging for the resumption of the valuations of all public sector pension schemes and the implementation of the Civil Service Scheme Advisory Board recommendations. You can read our letter to the Chief secretary to the Treasury here.