Call out for service with the armed forces reserve

Report: 13
Date: 3 April 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

This paper provides information on the steps taken to deal with personnel issues, including pay and pension matters, for staff who are called up for service with the armed forces reserve and recommends the Clerk, in consultation with the Treasurer, agree any payments to bridge the gap between Reservists Standard Award and occupational pay.

A. Recommendations

That

1. members note the arrangements put in place to deal with the personnel issues arising from the call up of staff for service in the armed forces reserve; and
2. the Clerk, in consultation with the Treasurer, be authorised to agree payment of funds to bridge the gap between Reservists Standard Award and occupational pay.

B. Supporting information

1. 125 police officers are recorded as members of the volunteer reserve forces. The number of civil staff recorded for volunteer reserve service is not known since no central record is kept but it is thought to be fewer than for police officers. Thus far, 14 police officers and 3 members of the civil staff have been called up to serve with the armed forces reserve.

2. During the period of armed forces service, staff will remain employed by the MPS/MPA and, in effect, be seconded to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Arrangements made in respect of the pay and pension contributions and other general information affecting staff who are called up are set out in the following paragraphs.

Pay

3. Pay for active service, as a member of the reserve and volunteer reserve forces is a matter for the MoD. The MoD pay this in the form of a Reservist Standard Award (RSA), designed to make good any loss of earnings, company benefits and pension contributions arising from mobilised service. There are ceilings to the amount of RSA paid, according to military rank.

4. Police officers and members of the civil staff who are called up in these circumstances are taken off the MPS payroll for the duration of their active service and receive the appropriate RSA according to their military rank. The staff concerned need to ensure that regular payments for such items as Police Federation and trade union subscriptions continue to be made from their RSA.

5. In the event that RSA does not match MPS pay, staff concerned may apply to the MoD for additional special payments. The MoD will require evidence of salary and financial commitments in order to consider any special payment. If then there remains a gap between RSA and MPS pay, the MPS has undertaken to seek MPA agreement to make up the difference. By these means, no police officer or member of the civil staff will be worse off by serving with the armed forces.

6. No instance has yet arisen for a “top up” case to be made to the MPA.

7. These pay arrangements accord with the guidance issued by the Home Office under Home Office Circular HOC 3/2003 in respect of police officers, which refers back to information contained in earlier Circulars still being relevant.

Pensions

8. Police officers and civil staff may choose to remain in their respective pension schemes, provided that their armed forces service does not reckon in the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS). In practice, staff remain with their substantive occupational scheme. Nevertheless, reservists are covered by the AFPS in respect of death or injury as a result of armed service, irrespective of whether the service reckons under the AFPS or substantive occupational scheme.

9. Staff who remain in the occupational scheme will continue to pay contributions as appropriate, based on their notional police or civil staff pay. This will include increased contributions to cover notional pay increments. HOC 3/2003 referred to in paragraph 7 confirms that, for police officers, the period in the armed forces will be reckonable as pensionable service provided they continue to pay their 11% pension contributions.

10. In the event of death or disablement whilst serving in the armed forces, benefits will be payable from the occupational scheme, subject to staff not receiving benefits from both the AFPS and the occupational scheme.

General contact arrangements

11. Local personnel managers are charged with keeping in touch with all staff who are seconded elsewhere, or on career breaks, or otherwise absent from the Service for lengthy periods. In practice, contact is being maintained with spouses or other family members of those who have been called up.

12. Personnel managers have been provided with information on pay, pensions and associated matters to assist individuals and with advice on dealing with queries arising from MoD addressed to employers. This includes advising staff concerned to ensure that arrangements are made to pay pension contributions, staff association subscriptions and so on. Contact points within Human Resources Directorate, for general personnel and specific pay issues, and Finance Services Directorate, for pension issues, have been provided to personnel managers.

13. Close contact with the Police Federation and the Civil Staff Trade(s) Union(s) is being maintained on these arrangements.

C. Equality and diversity implications

To date, no specific issues under this heading have arisen.

D. Financial implications

There are no financial implications identified at this stage. As noted in the paper, there might be instances where agreement might be sought to provide funds to bridge the gap between RSA and occupational pay but the amounts would be likely to be small. Any such case will be notified to the MPA.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Michael Shurety, Director of HR Services, MPS

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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