Dear Sir or Madam,

Police Injury Pensions Policy

Freedom of Information Act request.

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 assistance in this matter is very much appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

Ms N. McCall