Scottish Public Pension Agency - Police Pension Scheme contingent decision: FOI release

Information requested

1) The number of members originally offered the chance to leave their pension scheme.

2) How many members actually did exercise this option and leave the pension scheme.

3) How many of those that 'left', subsequently rejoined the pension fund.

4) How many that rejoined were placed back into the same pension scheme they left and how many were placed into a different pension scheme.

5) To be provided with the dates of any meeetings SPPA held where these contingent decision(s) were the subject of the meeting or an item on the agenda.

6) Copies of minutes and action logs (non relevant or personal details redacted if required) of these meetings in point 5 above.

Response

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested under FOISA exemption 38(1)(b) - Personal Information.

The attached table (0. List of Documents) outlines what documents have been attached to this response and where this exemption has been applied.

Please note the answers are specific to members who have applied for a contingent decision to buy back their previously opted out service.

1) All active members are eligible to opt out of the Police Pension Scheme. Of the 90 Police scheme members who applied for a contingent decision to buy back their previously opted out service, all 90 were eligible to opt out of the scheme when they were active members. Three of the applicants are now pensioners.

2) Of the 90 scheme members who applied for a contingent decision to buy back previously opted out service, 88 had opted out. Three of the 88 applicants are now pensioners.

3) At the current date, one of the three scheme pensioners, has reinstated opted out service.

4) The scheme pensioner who bought back their opted out service, was reinstated into the scheme they left.

5) There were two training meetings specific to reinstating the pensioner who had applied for an opt out buy back contingent decision. The meetings took place in February and March 2025. Due to system constraints, the exact meeting dates are not known.

6) Opt out contingent decision updates, for all Police scheme members, were provided at the following meetings:

1. 19/01/2024 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
2. 16/02/2024 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
3. 15/03/2024 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
4. 19/03/2024 - Police Scheme Advisory Board
5. 17/05/2024 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
6. 19/07/2024 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
7. 27/09/2024 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
8. 18/10/2024 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
9. 15/11/2024 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
10. 20/12/2024 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
11. 24/01/2025 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
12. 21/02/2025 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
13. 24/02/2025 - Police Scheme Advisory Board
14. 21/03/2025 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
15. 25/06/2025 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
16. 22/09/2025 - Joint Working Group Meeting between Police Scotland and SPPA
17. 25/09/2025 - Police Scheme Advisory Board
18. 10/12/2025 - Meeting between SPPA and the Job's Forgotten (TJF)

• As the two training meetings were specific to buy back cost calculation training, there were no minutes or action points recorded.
• Redacted minutes are attached for the Joint Working Group Meetings; information which was out of scope has been redacted.
• Full Scheme Advisory Board minutes are attached, and available on the SPPA website: Scheme Advisory Board | SPPA
• Draft redacted Scheme Advisory Board minutes for 25 September 2025 are attached. These will be formally agreed at the next meeting in March 2026 and full Minutes available on the SPPA shortly afterwards

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The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202500499669 - Information released - Annex

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