Police Injury Pensions Policy

Dear Mr Jarman

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2009120002790
I write in connection with your request for information dated which was
received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 11/12/2009. I note
you seek access to the following information:

* Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), I am seeking certain
information related to police injury pensions. 1. Do you have
a written policy governing the management and review of police
injury pensions? If you do, please provide me with a copy.
2. Since August 2004, to date, how many injury pensions have been
reduced when reviewed? 3. Since August 2004, to date, how many
injury pensions have been increased when reviewed? 4.
Since August 2004, to date, how many injury pensions have been
reduced to the lowest band when the former officer in receipt of
the pension reached (or had already reached) the age of 65? 5.
If your force has any document recording any analysis and/or
consideration of the guidance contained in Annex C to Home Office
circular 46/2004 please supply me with a copy. 6. If your
force has any document recording any calculation and/or projection
of the potential budgetary savings and/or financial impact that
might result from adoption of the guidance contained in Annex C to
Home Office circular 46/2004 please supply me with a copy.
Notes: In this request, the term ‘document’ should be
taken to mean any record whether in printed or digital form,
including reports, minutes or transcripts of meetings, notes,
memoranda, letters, and email, etc. Any information you
supply should be in any standard digital format, such as MS Word
(.doc) or Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf) and sent to the
address indicated, where it will be available for viewing by
visitors to the whatdotheyknow.com web site. Yours
faithfully, John Jarman"

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Dear Mr Jarman

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2009120002790

I write in connection with your request for information which was received
by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 11/12/2009. I note you seek
access to the following information:

* 1. Do you have a written policy governing the management and review of
police injury pensions? If you do, please provide me with a copy.

* 2. Since August 2004, to date, how many injury pensions have been
reduced when reviewed?
* 3. Since August 2004, to date, how many injury pensions have been
increased when reviewed?
* 4. Since August 2004, to date, how many injury pensions have been
reduced to the lowest band when the former officer in receipt of
the pension reached (or had already reached) the age of 65?
* 5. If your force has any document recording any analysis and/or
consideration of the guidance contained in Annex C to Home Office
circular 46/2004 please supply me with a copy.
* 6. If your force has any document recording any calculation and/or
projection of the potential budgetary savings and/or financial
impact that might result from adoption of the guidance contained in
Annex C to Home Office circular 46/2004 please supply me with a copy.

* Notes: In this request, the term ***document*** should be taken to
mean any record whether in printed or digital form, including reports,
minutes or transcripts of meetings, notes, memoranda, letters, and
email, etc. Any information you supply should be in any standard
digital format, such as MS Word (.doc) or Adobe Portable Document
Format (.pdf) and sent to the address indicated, where it will be
available for viewing by visitors to the whatdotheyknow.com web site.

Following receipt of your request searches were conducted within the
MPS to locate information relevant to your request.

EXTENT OF SEARCHES TO LOCATE INFORMATION
To locate the information relevant to your request searches were
conducted within Human Resources.

RESULT OF SEARCHES
The searches located records relevant to your request. I would like
to apologise for the delay in getting this information to you and for
any inconvenience this has caused.

DECISION
I have today decided to:

* disclose records numbered 1 to 4 in full;
* With regards to questions 5 and 6 no information is held. As the
MPS did not adopt a retrospective implementation of the Home
Office Guidance and in view of the fact that there has not been
any officers eligible for review since MPS implementation in
2006, there is no relevant analysis and or documentation.

Please find below and attached your copies of records numbered 1 to 4.

Answer 1
Copy of our guidance notes/policy is attached for information

Answer 2
Since August 2004, 165 individuals have had their injury pensions
reduced.

Answer 3
Since August 2004, 37 individuals have had their injury pensions
increased.

Answer 4
Home Office Circular 46/2004 dealt with the issue of injury pensions
and suggested retrospective implementation, however the MPS did not
implement the guidance until and after 1st April 2006. Accordingly it
was decided that any MPS officer who was awarded an injury pension
after 1st April 2006 would be reviewed on reaching the age of 65.
Since implementation date of the guidance, no MPS officer in receipt
of an injury award has attained the age of 65 and consequently there
has not been any reviews and or reduction of an individuals pension to
the lowest band.

COMPLAINT RIGHTS

If you are dissatisfied with this response please read the attached
paper entitled Complaint Rights which explains how to make a
complaint.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please
contact me on 020 7230 2343 or at the address at the top of this
letter, quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

Jennifer Powell
HR Freedom of Information Manager

In complying with their statutory duty under sections 1 and 11 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 to release the enclosed information,
the Metropolitan Police Service will not breach the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988. However, the rights of the copyright owner of
the enclosed information will continue to be protected by law.
Applications for the copyright owner's written permission to
reproduce any part of the attached information should be addressed to
MPS Directorate of Legal Services, 1st Floor (Victoria Block), New
Scotland Yard, Victoria, London, SW1H 0BG.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think
the decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome and encouraged to
discuss the decision with the case officer that dealt with your
request.

Ask to have the decision looked at again ***

The quickest and easiest way to have the decision looked at again is
to telephone the case officer that is nominated at the end of your
decision letter.

That person will be able to discuss the decision, explain any issues
and assist with any problems.

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision
of the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act)
regarding access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS
to have the decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 40 working days.
The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied
with the decision you may make application to the Information
Commissioner for a decision on whether the request for information has
been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information
Commissioner please visit their website at
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk. Alternatively, phone or write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 700

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