Former police officer fears losing his full pension

A former policewoman who retired early because of breast cancer and is entitled to a special pension fears that she may not live to see the money paid out.

Sam Hodkinson is one of tens of thousands of public sector workers waiting for their pension payments.

Pension administrators regret the delays but insist they will meet the legal deadline to issue financial guidance on payments.

Ms Hodkinson was a Nightingale constable helping victims of sexual assault at Greater Manchester Police when she was forced to retire at the age of 48 following a battle with breast cancer in early 2018.

She found she could have been entitled to thousands of pounds in additional pension after courts ruled that protection from changes was discriminatory for older workers but not for younger workers like her.

“It really makes me angry,” she says. “Being a police officer is a very hard job. For many police officers, their pension is their livelihood.”

The pension administrators entrusted with carrying out the complicated calculations then expressed their understanding and wanted to speed up the process now that they had received government tax and interest advice.

In 2014, the government made changes to the value of public sector pensions.

Workers who retire within 10 years have been offered more favourable terms than younger workers. The Government is determined to change this and some police officers will benefit.

Numbers vary, but by March 2025, more than 32,000 police officers are expected to receive opinions to help them decide whether to stay in the current system or return to the old one.

The missing pension payments between 2015 and 2022 could be worth up to £45,000, or about £600 a month. Firefighters, judges and NHS staff are also included.

However, many police officers were not aware that there would be a delay in the payment of the increased pension and had to take on a second job or got into debt.

Due to her poor health, Mrs Hodkinson is unable to take on other work and is afraid that her cancer may return.

“I’m afraid that, God forbid, the cancer will come back and I will no longer be able to enjoy the additional benefits of the police pension,” she says.

Last week, the Home Office Select Committee heard evidence about the delays.

The police coordinator for this issue – the National Police Chiefs’ Council – and pensions administrator XPS assured MPs and campaigners that they will meet the 31 March 2025 deadline.

XPS has so far issued only 252 of over 32,000 pension decisions, but said it can now speed up the process with the help of new technology.

“All police officers are entitled to the dignity of a secure retirement and we understand the frustration and concern these delays have caused,” XPS told BBC News.

Michelle Mooney, a former Scottish Police officer, retired after 25 years on the frontline, tracking down violent attackers and helping people injured in car crashes.

She says the scale of the task facing the administration requires “herculean efforts” and is concerned that those affected may never get what they deserve.

“No reasonable information is coming to light and I fear we may never get the money,” Ms Mooney says.

“Under certain circumstances, the deadline can simply be extended.”

SPPA, which manages Michelle Mooney’s pension scheme, told the BBC it also expects to meet the March 2025 deadline.

Antony Hope, who runs a social media group expressing solidarity and sharing information with affected former police officers like Samantha and Michelle, says the delay is causing a bigger problem.

“This money accumulates as debt and burdens the state treasury, which is particularly annoying for us as former public sector employees.”

The delays have clouded Ms Hodkinson’s feelings about her time as a police officer.

“As a first responder, I felt valued, but being left in limbo waiting for a response to my response makes me feel like I don’t matter,” she says.

“Will I still be here when this matter is resolved?”