Ms. McCall

Your Ref: 2nd February, 2009

Our Ref: F-2009-00200

Dear Ms. McCall,

Reference No: F-2009-00200

FREEDOM of INFORMATION ACT 2000

Thank you for your request for Information, received at this office on 2nd February, 2009, in which you requested details of the following:

I am requesting certain documents that you may have detailing force

policy and procedure in the management and review of police injury

award pensions prior to the year 2004.

To help you in your search and to direct my enquiry as clearly as

possible I am quoting below a paragraph from Home Office Circular

46/2004, Annex C:

'This Guidance is being issued to help ensure a fairer, more

cohesive approach to the payment of injury benefits to ill-health

retired officers who have reached the compulsory retirement age

with their Force. A recent survey found that practice in this area

was diverse. Some forces automatically reduced degree of

disablement benefits to the lowest banding when this age had been

reached - others continued to pay benefits at the same rate until

the death of the Officer concerned.'

The above quote identifies two categories of forces - A) one group

that automatically reduced degree of disablement benefits to the

lowest banding when compulsory retirement age had been reached and

a second group B) that continued to pay benefits at the same rate

until the death of the Officer concerned.

I am attempting to identify and obtain a copy of documents that

show which category ( A or B) your force would have been included

in prior to receipt of HOC 46/2004.

It may be that your response would be sufficient if you simply tell

me which group your force was in, but if there was a written policy

or procedural document setting out details, then I should like a

copy.

You can send copied documents in any standard digital format.

Your request will now be considered and you will receive a response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act, subject to the information not being exempt or containing a reference to a third party. In some circumstances Lincolnshire Police may be unable to achieve this deadline. If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised time-scale at the earliest opportunity.

There may be a fee payable for the retrieval, collation and provision of the information you request. If this is the case you will be informed and the 20 working day timescale will be suspended until we receive payment from you. If you chose not to make a payment then your request will remain unanswered.

Some requests may also require either full or partial transference to another public authority in order to answer your query in the fullest possible way. Again, you will be informed if this is the case.

We anticipate being able to provide you with information that you have requested by 2nd March, 2009.

Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet, which details your right of complaint.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in Lincolnshire Police.

Should you need to discuss this further please write or contact me on the above telephone number quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely,

Naomi Timings

Data Protection/FOI Research Officer

Lincolnshire Police provides you with the right to request a re-examination of your case under its review procedure (copy enclosed). If you decide to request such a review and having followed the full process you are still dissatisfied, then you have the right to direct your comments to the Information Commissioner who will give it consideration.

Visit our Website on: www.lincs.police.uk

Visit our Website on: www.lincs.police.uk