Pension protection for Prison staff (FOI)

Request

What level of protection arrangements have been negotiated for members of the Jersey Prison Staff Association (JPSA) with regards from moving from the PECRS pension scheme to the Care Scheme, and does this differ from the rest of the other Uniformed Services? This includes any additional years of protection given as part of any other existing deal that concerned members of the JPSA that did not form part of the negotiations as part of the wider Joint Negotiating Group (JNG) negotiations but may have been given in lieu of other agreements.

Response

The protection arrangements for members of Jersey Prison Staff Association (JPSA) apply by reference to age 55, the same as for all other uniform members. Uniform members are eligible for protection if they are within seven years of this age on 1 January 2019. These arrangements formed part of the negotiations with all unions on the Joint Negotiating Group (JNG).

In 2011, at the request of the Jersey Prison Officers Association (JPSA), it was agreed to increase the normal retirement age under Public Employees Contributory Retirement Scheme (PECRS) for Prison Officers from age 55 to age 60. The legislative amendments that made this change were effective from 1 February 2013.

In 2012, a Technical Working Party was established to review PECRS and as a result a Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) scheme was proposed for the future. During the course of negotiations with the JNG it was recognised that, given the approach to protection being taken, the change to the normal retirement age previously agreed for Prison Officers would prove detrimental. It was agreed in discussion with unions at the JNG, as well as by the States’ Employment Board (SEB), that Prison Officer’s protection would be calculated by reference to age 55, the same as for all other Uniformed Services groups.

Following lengthy negotiations a final offer letter was sent to all the unions within the Joint Negotiating Group on 8 April 2014. The final offer letter included details of how protection would apply to Prison Officers.