Injury Award
Worked Examples
What each injury award band is actually worth, worked through step by step for four lengths of service, with the pension deduction shown. Every figure is calculated by the same engine as our calculator from the Schedule 3 percentages, using the pension scheme that fits each length of service. All examples are illustrative, not real cases.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 7 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
A one-off gratuity of 12.5% to 50% of average pensionable pay, plus a yearly injury pension: a guarantee of 15% to 85% of pay (by band and service) minus three-quarters of your police pension and some benefits. Illustration: on £52,015 with 10 years' 2015 scheme service and a £9,406 lower tier pension, band 2 pays a £13,004 gratuity and a £18,953 injury pension a year, before any benefit deductions.
These tables use one set of assumptions. The free injury award calculator uses the same engine with your own pay, service, scheme, tier and age, and shows every band side by side. It does not decide your band and does not deduct state benefits or tax.
The assumptions behind every figure
- Bands: "band 1 to 4" is our shorthand. The regulations speak of the degree of disablement, a percentage reduction in earning capacity: 25% or less, over 25% to 50%, over 50% to 75%, and over 75%.
- Pay that fits the service: £36,335 (constable point 4 on the post-2013 scale) at 3 years, and £52,015 (the top constable point) at 10, 20 and 28 years, from our pay scales file effective 1 September 2026, used as a stand-in for average pensionable pay. Entry points and progression vary by entry route and force. The gratuity table also shows £58,175 (top sergeant point).
- The scheme that fits the service: the 2015 scheme only began on 1 April 2015, so nobody has more than about 11.5 years of 2015 scheme service in October 2026. The 3 and 10 year examples use the 2015 scheme lower tier pension (pay × years ÷ 55.3). The 20 year example uses the 2006 scheme standard ill-health pension (1/70 of pay a year), and the 28 year example the 1987 scheme ill-health pension (Schedule B Part III).
- Simplified for long service: the 20 and 28 year examples treat all service as 2006 or 1987 scheme service. In reality everyone has built up 2015 scheme benefits since 1 April 2022, and the ill-health pension of a member with both kinds of service combines the two. The real figure can differ, so use your administrator's statement.
- Full-time service throughout, no pension debit or allocation, no part-time pro-rating, no revaluation.
- Before tax and before any Schedule 3 paragraph 7 deduction for industrial injuries benefit, reduced earnings allowance or ESA, except where a table says "after tax".
- Percentages from Schedule 3 to the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006, held in our rules file and read on 30 September 2026. Figures are rounded to the nearest pound.
The ages in each scenario matter for the upper tier comparison below and for the 1987 scheme cap explained under the 28 year table. The 2015 lower tier and 2006 standard pensions in the engine do not depend on age.
The method in four lines
- Gratuity = band percentage × average pensionable pay. Paid once and not reduced by your pension (though regulation 38 can reduce any award for your own default).
- Guarantee = band and service percentage × average pensionable pay (Schedule 3 paragraph 3).
- Deduction = 75% of your ordinary or ill-health police pension (paragraph 6), plus listed benefits for the same week (paragraph 7).
- Injury pension = guarantee − deductions, never below nil (paragraph 8). Paid on top of your police pension.
The service columns are under 5 years, 5 to under 15, 15 to under 25, and 25 or more. A consequence of line 3: before tax, and while the injury pension is above nil, your total from the two pensions is the guarantee plus a quarter of your police pension.
One example, step by step
Illustrative: £52,015 pay, 10 years' service, all in the 2015 scheme (joined in 2016), band 2 (minor) disablement, lower tier ill-health pension of £9,406 a year (£52,015 × 10 ÷ 55.3).
| Step | Rule | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gratuity | 25% of £52,015 | £13,004 |
| 2. Service column | 10 years falls in '5 to under 15' | - |
| 3. Guarantee | 50% of £52,015 | £26,008 a year |
| 4. Pension deduction | 75% of £9,406 | £7,054 a year |
| 5. Injury pension | Guarantee minus deduction | £18,953 a year |
| 6. Total from both pensions | Police pension plus injury pension, before tax | £28,359 a year |
Check: the total equals the guarantee (£26,008) plus a quarter of the pension. If the pension estimate is 10% too low or too high, the total moves only from £28,124 to £28,594, because three-quarters of any change in the pension is cancelled out by the deduction. The injury pension itself moves more, from £19,658 to £18,248. On these figures the £9,406 pension is below the personal allowance, so if it were your only taxable income no tax would be due on it; the injury pension can be paid tax-free (HMRC EIM75900).
The gratuity by band at three pay levels
The gratuity depends only on the band and average pensionable pay. Length of service does not change it.
| Band | % of pay | £36,335 (constable point 4) | £52,015 (top constable) | £58,175 (top sergeant) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1: slight | 12.5% | £4,542 | £6,502 | £7,272 |
| Band 2: minor | 25% | £9,084 | £13,004 | £14,544 |
| Band 3: major | 37.5% | £13,626 | £19,506 | £21,816 |
| Band 4: very severe | 50% | £18,168 | £26,008 | £29,088 |
The separate regulation 12 disablement gratuity, for total and permanent disablement within 12 months of the injury, is much larger: the lesser of 5 times pensionable pay or four times total remuneration in the last 12 months plus contributions. It is not shown in these tables. We say nothing here about how either gratuity is taxed, because HMRC's manual does not settle it for these lump sums.
Every band at 3, 10, 20 and 28 years' service
Each table uses the pay and the ill-health pension that fit that length of service. Columns: the one-off gratuity, the guarantee, the 75% pension deduction, the yearly injury pension, and the total from the police pension and injury pension together, all before tax.
| Band | Gratuity | Guarantee | Less pension deduction | Injury pension | Total with pension |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1: slight | £4,542 | 15% = £5,450 | £1,478 | £3,972 | £5,943 |
| Band 2: minor | £9,084 | 40% = £14,534 | £1,478 | £13,056 | £15,027 |
| Band 3: major | £13,626 | 65% = £23,618 | £1,478 | £22,139 | £24,111 |
| Band 4: very severe | £18,168 | 85% = £30,885 | £1,478 | £29,406 | £31,378 |
| Band | Gratuity | Guarantee | Less pension deduction | Injury pension | Total with pension |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1: slight | £6,502 | 30% = £15,605 | £7,054 | £8,550 | £17,956 |
| Band 2: minor | £13,004 | 50% = £26,008 | £7,054 | £18,953 | £28,359 |
| Band 3: major | £19,506 | 70% = £36,411 | £7,054 | £29,356 | £38,762 |
| Band 4: very severe | £26,008 | 85% = £44,213 | £7,054 | £37,158 | £46,564 |
| Band | Gratuity | Guarantee | Less pension deduction | Injury pension | Total with pension |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1: slight | £6,502 | 45% = £23,407 | £11,146 | £12,261 | £27,122 |
| Band 2: minor | £13,004 | 60% = £31,209 | £11,146 | £20,063 | £34,924 |
| Band 3: major | £19,506 | 75% = £39,011 | £11,146 | £27,865 | £42,727 |
| Band 4: very severe | £26,008 | 85% = £44,213 | £11,146 | £33,067 | £47,928 |
| Band | Gratuity | Guarantee | Less pension deduction | Injury pension | Total with pension |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1: slight | £6,502 | 60% = £31,209 | £26,008 | £5,202 | £39,878 |
| Band 2: minor | £13,004 | 70% = £36,411 | £26,008 | £10,403 | £45,080 |
| Band 3: major | £19,506 | 80% = £41,612 | £26,008 | £15,605 | £50,281 |
| Band 4: very severe | £26,008 | 85% = £44,213 | £26,008 | £18,205 | £52,882 |
- 20 years, 2006 scheme: the standard ill-health pension is the ordinary pension, unreduced: £52,015 × 20 ÷ 70 = £14,861 a year (regulations 28 to 30 of the 2006 regulations). The 2006 scheme also pays an automatic lump sum of four times the pension, here £59,446. We have deducted three-quarters of the yearly pension only; check with your administrator how your own lump sum is treated.
- 28 years, 1987 scheme: with over 10 years' service the ill-health pension is 7/60 of pay, plus 1/60 for each year up to 20, plus 2/60 for each year over 20, between 20/60 and 40/60 (Schedule B Part III paragraph 4). At 28 years that is 7 + 20 + 16 = 43/60, capped at 40/60: £52,015 × 40 ÷ 60 = £34,677 a year. Paragraph 5 also caps it at the ordinary pension the officer could have reached by compulsory retirement age; at 50 with 28 years they could reach the 40/60 maximum at 30 years' service, so that cap does not bite here.
Reading across: in bands 1 to 3 the guarantee steps up with service, but so does the pension, so the injury pension does not always grow with service even though the total does. The 1987 scheme pays a large ill-health pension for long service, so three-quarters of it uses up much of the guarantee: at 28 years the band 1 injury pension is £5,202 a year on a £31,209 guarantee. At 20 years in the 2006 scheme the band 2 injury pension is £20,063. In band 4 the guarantee is 85% whatever the service, so a longer-serving officer with a bigger pension receives a smaller injury pension but a higher total before tax.
With no police pension to deduct
Where there is no ordinary or ill-health police pension to deduct, the injury pension is the full guarantee. This table is the upper limit of the yearly injury pension for each band and service length, at the pay used for that length of service, before any paragraph 7 deduction. It is shown to make the structure clear; whether any pension of yours falls to be deducted depends on your scheme and circumstances, so ask your administrator.
| Band | 3 years (£36,335) | 10 years (£52,015) | 20 years (£52,015) | 28 years (£52,015) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1: slight | £5,450 | £15,605 | £23,407 | £31,209 |
| Band 2: minor | £14,534 | £26,008 | £31,209 | £36,411 |
| Band 3: major | £23,618 | £36,411 | £39,011 | £41,612 |
| Band 4: very severe | £30,885 | £44,213 | £44,213 | £44,213 |
Lower tier or upper tier: same band, different injury pension
Illustrative: £52,015 pay, 10 years' service all in the 2015 scheme, retiring at 35, band 3. The upper tier adds the 2015 scheme enhancement for the years to normal pension age (60), using the engine's formula from regulation 104. The after-tax rows tax the ill-health pension on its own (2026/27 England and Wales rates, personal allowance applied, no other income) and treat the injury pension as tax-free.
| Lower tier | Upper tier | |
|---|---|---|
| Ill-health pension (taxable) | £9,406 | £21,163 |
| Guarantee | 70% = £36,411 | 70% = £36,411 |
| Less 75% of pension | £7,054 | £15,873 |
| Injury pension (can be paid tax-free) | £29,356 | £20,538 |
| Total with pension, before tax | £38,762 | £41,701 |
| Income tax on the ill-health pension | £0 | £1,719 |
| Total with pension, after tax | £38,762 | £39,983 |
| Gratuity | £19,506 | £19,506 |
Before tax, the upper tier pension is £11,757 a year higher, the injury pension £8,818 lower, and the total £2,939 higher: a quarter of the difference. After tax the gain shrinks to about £1,221, because the extra pension is taxable while the injury pension it replaces is not. For a higher-rate taxpayer each extra pound of pension is worth about 60p after tax but costs 75p of tax-free injury pension, so the upper tier can leave them worse off. The gain also stops once the injury pension reaches nil. The which-route guide explains why.
For the tier question itself, see lower tier vs upper tier, and for how the injury pension is taxed, is a police injury pension tax-free?
When the injury pension is nil
Paragraph 8 of Schedule 3 says no injury pension is paid for any week in which the deductions exceed the guarantee. That can happen in band 1, or with a large police pension. Illustrative: £36,335 pay, 3 years' 2015 scheme service, retired on the upper tier at 25 (the enhancement is capped at three times the accrued pension with under 5 years' service, regulation 104(4)) with a pension of £7,885, band 1. The guarantee is £5,450, the deduction is £5,913, so the injury pension is £0 a year.
On these figures nothing is payable as injury pension, though the gratuity of £4,542 is still paid. A band 1 award still matters even when the injury pension is nil: the gratuity is paid, and a later review that finds your disablement has substantially altered can move you to a higher band (regulation 37).
What a band change on review does to the money
Illustrative, using the 10-year scenario above (lower tier pension £9,406). On a regulation 37 review your police pension does not change, so the whole change in the guarantee passes through to the injury pension. The gratuity already paid is not adjusted.
| Move | Injury pension before | Injury pension after | Change a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 2 to band 1 | £18,953 | £8,550 | £10,403 |
| Band 3 to band 2 | £29,356 | £18,953 | £10,403 |
| Band 4 to band 3 | £37,158 | £29,356 | £7,802 |
A band can only change if the SMP finds your degree of disablement has substantially altered since the last decision. See injury award reviews, and is the injury pension for life? for reviews at 65 and later. After a review decision, the appeal deadline calculator works out the 28-day dates.
The regulation 12 disablement gratuity, in outline
Regulation 12 pays a separate gratuity where a duty injury leaves you totally and permanently disabled (unable to earn any money in any employment) within 12 months. It is the lesser of 5 times the annual value of pensionable pay on your last day of service, and four times total remuneration in the last 12 months plus aggregate pension contributions. On £52,015, the first limb is £260,075; we cannot work out the second without your remuneration and contribution records, so the actual figure could be lower. Illustrative only.
Two reductions appear in the regulations as made. Regulation 22(1) says the regulation 12 gratuity is reduced by any gratuity paid, or treated as paid, under regulation 11, so you do not receive the Schedule 3 gratuity in full on top. Regulation 23 says the authority must take into account damages or compensation recovered for the same disability and may withhold or reduce the gratuity, and that it is not paid until you give a written undertaking to report any you recover. We read the as-made text; how these are applied in a particular case, and whether later amendments affect them, should be checked with your Federation representative or a solicitor. The Home Office kept the 12-month condition after its consultation (response of 22 April 2025).
What these examples leave out
- Schedule 3 paragraph 7 deductions. Industrial injuries benefit and reduced earnings allowance for the same injury, legacy incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance, and ESA in the circumstances set out in the regulations, are deducted week by week. None is modelled. See the deductions guide.
- Your real pension. Split legacy and 2015 scheme service, McCloud remedy choices, revaluation, pension debits on divorce and added pension all change it. Commutation does not reduce the deduction (paragraph 6(2)). 1987 scheme pensions can also be adjusted at state pension age under Schedule B Parts VII and VIII, which we have not modelled.
- Part-time service. The gratuity and guarantee are pro-rated.
- Annual increases. Both pensions are increased each year; these figures are at a single point in time.
- Tax, except in the tier comparison. HMRC says injury benefit payments can be paid tax-free and the police pension is taxable. Most tables are gross figures.
- Reduction for default. If the SMP finds you brought about or substantially contributed to the disablement by your own default, the authority can reduce the award by up to half (regulation 38, subject to the conditions in it).
Working out your own figures
- Your average pensionable pay: final pay for the 2015 scheme; ask the administrator for 1987 and 2006.
- Your years of pensionable service, which scheme each period is in, and whether any was part-time.
- The ill-health or ordinary pension in payment, from your administrator's statement.
- Your band, or each band if it is not yet decided.
- Any industrial injuries benefit, reduced earnings allowance or ESA you receive for the injury.
Put the first four into the injury award calculator, then subtract any listed benefit for the same week. If you do not yet have a pension figure, the police ill-health retirement calculator estimates the lower and upper tier pension (or the pension calculator for an ordinary pension), and the protection gap calculator to compare the result with your household bills. If you want someone to check the figures with you, your Federation representative or a solicitor can.
What people get wrong
- "Band 4 means 85% of pay on top of my pension." It means total pension income of 85% of pay plus a quarter of the police pension, before tax and benefits.
- "More service always means a bigger injury pension." More service usually means a bigger police pension, three-quarters of which is deducted.
- "The gratuity depends on service." It depends on band and pay only.
- "If my injury pension is nil the award is worthless." The gratuity is still paid and the award can be reviewed.
- "Commuting my pension will lift my injury pension." The deduction is based on the pension before commutation.
- "The upper tier always pays more." Only before tax, and only while the injury pension is above nil. After tax the gain is smaller, and a higher-rate taxpayer can end up worse off.
What we could not verify
- Your average pensionable pay. For 1987 and 2006 members it is calculated under the 1987 scheme rules, which we did not model. Ask the administrator.
- Mixed legacy and 2015 service. How a transition member's ill-health pension combines legacy and 2015 scheme benefits, and how McCloud remedy choices affect the three-quarters deduction, needs case-specific figures from your administrator.
- Which of your pensions is deducted. Paragraph 6 refers to other pensions calculated under the police pension schemes; how that applies to deferred pensions, split service, the 2006 lump sum and transition members should be confirmed with the administrator.
- Benefit amounts. We did not use any state benefit rate. Any deduction depends on your own entitlement.
- Tax. HMRC's manual does not settle any individual award, and says nothing we could rely on about the lump-sum gratuity.
- Regulations 22 and 23. Read on the as-made text only; check how they apply to you with a representative.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a band 1 police injury award?
A gratuity of 12.5% of average pensionable pay, plus an injury pension equal to the band 1 guarantee (15%, 30%, 45% or 60% of pay depending on service) less three-quarters of your police pension. On pay of £52,015 the gratuity is £6,502. The injury pension can be small or nil once the pension is deducted.
How much is a band 2 police injury award?
A gratuity of 25% of average pensionable pay (£13,004 on £52,015), plus an injury pension: the guarantee of 40%, 50%, 60% or 70% of pay by service, less three-quarters of your police pension. In our 10-year illustration the injury pension is £18,953 a year before any benefit deductions.
How much is a band 3 police injury award?
A gratuity of 37.5% of average pensionable pay (£19,506 on £52,015), plus an injury pension: the guarantee of 65%, 70%, 75% or 80% of pay by service, less three-quarters of your police pension.
How much is a band 4 police injury award?
A gratuity of 50% of average pensionable pay (£26,008 on £52,015), plus an injury pension: a guarantee of 85% of pay at any length of service, less three-quarters of your police pension. Before tax, total income from the two pensions is 85% of pay plus a quarter of the police pension.
Why is my injury pension so much lower than the guarantee?
Because three-quarters of your ordinary or ill-health police pension is deducted from the guarantee (Schedule 3 paragraph 6), along with certain state benefits for the same injury (paragraph 7). The guarantee is a floor for your combined income, not a payment on top of everything.
Does longer service increase the injury award?
For bands 1 to 3 the guarantee rises at 5, 15 and 25 years' service. But longer service also usually means a bigger police pension, and three-quarters of it is deducted, so the injury pension itself can fall even though total income rises. Band 4 is 85% at every length of service. Officers with 20 or more years' service in 2026 have 1987 or 2006 scheme service, whose ill-health pensions are worked out differently from the 2015 scheme.
Is the injury award gratuity reduced by my pension?
No. Schedule 3 paragraph 6 reduces the injury pension only. The gratuity is a fixed percentage of average pensionable pay for your band. Separately, regulation 38 lets the authority reduce any injury award, gratuity included, by up to half if you brought about or substantially contributed to the disablement by your own default.
Does taking a lump sum (commutation) increase my injury pension?
No. Schedule 3 paragraph 6(2) treats a pension reduced by commutation, allocation or a pension debit as if it had not been reduced, so the deduction is three-quarters of the unreduced pension.
Do these examples include tax and state benefits?
The tables are before tax and before any reduction for industrial injuries benefit, reduced earnings allowance or ESA under Schedule 3 paragraph 7. HMRC says injury benefit payments can be paid tax-free while the police pension is taxable. The lower and upper tier comparison also shows an after-tax figure, because tax changes the answer there.
What pay is used: final pay or average pay?
Average pensionable pay. For 2015 scheme members it means final pay (regulation 4A, inserted by SI 2018/997). For 1987 and 2006 members it is calculated under the 1987 scheme rules (regulation 4). These examples use a current pay point that fits the length of service as a stand-in.
What if I worked part-time?
Schedule 3 pro-rates the gratuity and guarantee for part-time service (paragraphs 1 and 3), with a different method for 2015 scheme members added by SI 2018/997. These examples assume full-time service throughout. Your pension administrator can give the pro-rated figure.
Can I check my own figures?
Yes. Our free injury award calculator uses the same engine as this page. Enter your pay, service, scheme, tier and band to see the gratuity, guarantee, pension deduction and injury pension. It cannot tell you your band, which the SMP decides.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 7 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/932), regulations 6 to 14 and 17, Schedule 3 (police officer's injury award) — Schedule 3 paras 1 and 3 (gratuity and guarantee table), 6 (three-quarters pension offset; commutation disregarded), 7 (benefits), 8 (nil payment); percentages checked 30 September 2026 (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006, regulations 4, 7, 11, 12, 22, 23 and 38 (legislation.gov.uk, as made) — average pensionable pay; degree of disablement by earning capacity; entitlement after leaving; regulation 12 gratuity and its abatement (22(1), 23); reduction for default (38). Read 7 October 2026 (accessed 7 October 2026)
- SI 2018/997, regulations 8 and 22 — final pay as average pensionable pay for 2015 members (reg 4A); part-time method and transition members in Schedule 3 (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Pensions Regulations 2015, regulation 104 (revised, legislation.gov.uk) — lower tier = accrued pension without early payment reduction; upper tier enhancement = final pay / 55.3 x half the assumed period to normal pension age; under 5 years capped at 3 x accrued pension (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Pensions Regulations 2006, regulations 28 to 30 (legislation.gov.uk, as made) — standard ill-health pension = ordinary pension (1/70 of pensionable pay a year) and lump sum, unreduced; ordinary pension instead from 55. Read 7 October 2026 (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Pensions Regulations 1987, Schedule B Part III (legislation.gov.uk, as made) — ill-health pension: over 10 years, 7/60 plus 1/60 a year to 20 years plus 2/60 a year over 20, minimum 20/60, maximum 40/60; paragraph 5 cap. Read 7 October 2026 (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Public Service Pensions Act 2013, section 10 (normal pension age is 60 for members of a police force) — normal pension age 60 for police (used for the upper tier assumed period) (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Evans and Ashcroft v Chief Constable of South Wales Police [2018] EWCA Civ 2107 — Court of Appeal description of the guarantee and the paragraph 6 and 7 deductions (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Landmark Chambers, Police Injury Pensions, chapter 5 (2020) — barristers' worked example of degree of disablement into band. Secondary source (accessed 7 October 2026)
- HMRC Employment Income Manual EIM75900 (injury benefit schemes, including police and firefighters) — injury benefit 'can be paid tax-free'; registered scheme pension taxable (accessed 7 October 2026)
- PolicePay pay scales data (effective 1 September 2026) — pay points used as a stand-in for average pensionable pay; see that page for its sources (accessed 7 October 2026)
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent reference site. This page is general information, not legal, medical or financial advice, and the outcome of any injury award or ill-health retirement decision turns on the medical evidence and the facts of the individual case. Decisions are made by the police pension authority, selected medical practitioners and appeal boards, and the regulations are amended from time to time. Speak to your Police Federation representative or a solicitor about your own case, and your pension administrator about your figures. If you are struggling, speak to your GP or one of the services listed on our support directory; if you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 7 October 2026.