Police Injury Pensions - Threat of Prosecution

The request was successful.

Dear Avon and Somerset Constabulary,

Earlier this year, several former Avon and Somerset police officers who are disabled and in receipt of injury pensions were sent notification that their pensions would be reviewed. Included with the notification was a questionnaire which the pensioners were asked to complete and sign as a declaration, thus:

'I . . . . (print full name) declare that the information I have provided is correct to the best of my knowledge and belief and I understand that I may be liable to prosecution and/or payment of my injury award may be reduced or suspended if I have provided any information which is either misleading or inaccurate.'

Please tell me what legislation allows an injury award to be reduced or suspended in the circumstances described in the declaration.

Please tell me the Act and Section of criminal law under which an injury pensioner could be prosecuted for providing misleading or inaccurate information.

Yours faithfully,

Sarah Wilmcote

#Freedom of Information Requests, Avon and Somerset Constabulary

 

 

Corporate Information Management Department

Force Headquarters, PO Box 37, Valley Road,

Portishead, Bristol, BS20 8QJ

Facsimile 01275 814667

    

Private Our Reference 1365/14

Ms Sarah Wilmcote
Date 1^st December
[1][email address] 2014

 

 

Dear Ms Wilmcote

 

I write in connection with your request for information dated 1^st
December 2014 concerning Police Injury Pensions.  This request will be
dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

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. In some
circumstances Avon and Somerset Constabulary may be unable to achieve this
deadline if consideration needs to be given to the public interest test.
If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised time-scale at
the earliest opportunity.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

C Quartey

 

Freedom of Information Officer

Corporate Information Management Department

 

Please note;

1.     Requests and responses may be published on Avon and Somerset
Constabulary’s website (within 24 hours), some of which may contain a link
to additional information, which may provide you with further
clarification.

2.     Whilst we may verbally discuss your request with you in order to
seek clarification, all other communication should be made in writing.

3.     Avon and Somerset Constabulary provides you with the right to
request a re-examination of your case under its review procedure.

 

 

 

show quoted sections

#Freedom of Information Requests, Avon and Somerset Constabulary

1 Attachment

 

Corporate Information Management Department

Force Headquarters, PO Box 37, Valley Road,

Portishead, Bristol, BS20 8QJ

Facsimile 01275 814667

Email foirequests@avonandsomerset.police.uk    

 

     

     

Private Our Reference 1365/14

Sarah Wilmcote Your reference  

[FOI #242111 email] Date 31 December 2014

 

Dear Ms Wilmcote

 

I write in connection with your request for information dated 1^st
December concerning legislation.

 

Specifically you asked: “Earlier this year, several former Avon and
Somerset police officers who are disabled and in receipt of injury
pensions were sent notification that their pensions would be reviewed.
Included with the notification was a questionnaire which the pensioners
were asked to complete and sign as a declaration, thus:

 

'I . . . . (print full name) declare that the information I have provided
is correct to the best of my knowledge and belief and I understand that I
may be liable to prosecution and/or payment of my injury award may be
reduced or suspended if I have provided any information which is either
misleading or inaccurate.'

 

Please tell me what legislation allows an injury award to be reduced or
suspended in the circumstances described in the declaration.

 

Please tell me the Act and Section of criminal law under which an injury
pensioner could be prosecuted for providing misleading or inaccurate
information.”

 

The statement has been on the questionnaire relating to injury awards
since 2003 (arising from a meeting of the Attendance Management Group held
on 9 October 2002).     The statement reflects the details included in the
questionnaires provided by Essex and Sussex Police at that time and agreed
with the Federation in January 2003.  The statement is intended to clarify
that there are possible consequences should a former officer either omit
information which is relevant to the consideration of the injury award
and/or purposely provides misleading information which could possibly be
fraudulent.    If the statement is not signed, it does not halt the review
process, but if the details were found be fraudulent due consideration
would be given to the next appropriate steps.    It may be helpful to note
that this statement has never needed to be actioned to date.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

C Quartey

 

Freedom of Information Officer

Corporate Information Management Department

 

 

Please note:

1.     Requests and responses may be published on Avon and Somerset
Constabulary’s website (within 24 hours), some of which may contain a link
to additional information, which may provide you with further
clarification.

2.     Whilst we may verbally discuss your request with you in order to
seek clarification, all other communication should be made in writing.

3.     Avon and Somerset Constabulary provides you with the right to
request a re-examination of your case under its review procedure (copy
attached).

 

 

 

 

 

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Sarah Wilmcote left an annotation ()

So, Avon and Somerset Constabulary are saying that someone who makes a genuine mistake when providing information could be prosecuted?

What a load of tosh.

This 'declaration' is essentially an empty threat, no doubt intended to frighten people into filling in the questionnaire.

If anyone needs to be prosecuted it is Avon and Somerset Constabulary.