Police Scotland Injury Awards &
Ill-Health Retiral
Police Scotland officers have their own injury benefit regulations, their own 2015 pension scheme and their own appeal routes. The award bands are the same as in England and Wales; the people, the courts and some of the numbers are not. This guide sets out what applies in Scotland, from primary Scottish sources.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 7 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
Injury awards come under the Police (Injury Benefit) (Scotland) Regulations 2007, with the same band percentages and the same three-quarters pension offset as England and Wales. The Scottish Police Authority decides, after a Selected Medical Practitioner reports, and SPPA pays. Ill-health retiral comes under the Scottish 2015 pension scheme: permanently unfit for ordinary duties until 60 for the lower tier, and for any regular employment for the upper tier. Medical appeals are 28 days plus 28; non-medical appeals go to the sheriff.
The rest of our injury and ill-health guides describe the rules in England and Wales. Where this page compares the two, it says which is which. Everything Scottish here was read in the Scottish regulations, on SPPA's website, in the Police Scotland procedure or in Scottish Police Authority papers on 7 October 2026. If you served in more than one UK force, ask SPPA which rules apply to which part of your service.
Scotland and England and Wales at a glance
The quickest way to see what carries across. Most of the money rules are shared; the decision-makers, the courts and the 2015 pension scheme are Scottish.
| Topic | England and Wales | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Injury award rules | Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/932) | Police (Injury Benefit) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (SSI 2007/68), effective from 6 April 2006 |
| Who decides an award | The police pension authority for the force (for most officers, the chief constable: 2015 regulations, reg 7) | The Scottish Police Authority (SPA); SPPA says the SPA Chief Executive makes the final decision |
| Who calculates and pays | The force's pension administrator | The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) |
| Medical questions | Selected Medical Practitioner (SMP) | SMP appointed by the SPA (SPPA guide; Police Scotland procedure) |
| Medical appeal on an injury award | Board of medical referees, 28 days plus 28 days for grounds | Board of medical referees appointed under arrangements approved by the Scottish Ministers, 28 plus 28 days |
| Non-medical appeal on an injury award | Crown Court (PIBR reg 34) | The sheriff (SSI 2007/68 reg 34) |
| Band table (gratuity and minimum income guarantee) | Schedule 3 | Schedule 3: the same percentages |
| Ill-health pension scheme now | Police Pensions Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/445) | Police Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (SSI 2015/142) |
| 2015 scheme accrual | 1/55.3 of pensionable earnings a year | 1/56.1 of pensionable earnings a year |
| Income tax on the taxable pension | UK rates | Scottish Income Tax rates if you live in Scotland |
Sources for each line are in the sections below and in the sources list. The tax line is about where you live, not where you served: Scottish Income Tax applies to your wages, pension and most other taxable income if you live in Scotland (GOV.UK).
The law that applies in Scotland
Injury awards for Police Scotland officers are made under the Police (Injury Benefit) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (SSI 2007/68). Regulation 1 says they came into force on 7 March 2007 with effect from 6 April 2006, and extend to Scotland only.
There is a practical problem with reading them. legislation.gov.uk publishes this instrument only in its original form. Its own list of changes shows around 119 amendments that have not been worked into the online text. The most important for current officers is the Police Pensions (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2019 (SSI 2019/68). Regulations 21 to 38 of that instrument adapt the injury regulations for the Scottish 2015 pension scheme. Regulations 21 to 35 have effect from 1 April 2015; the rest apply from 1 April 2019, when the instrument came into force. Among other things they:
- insert regulation 7A, so that for a 2015 scheme member "disabled" means medically unfit within Chapter 1 of Part 6 of the Scottish 2015 pension regulations;
- insert regulation 4A, so that award calculations for 2015 members use "final pay" as the Scottish 2015 scheme defines it;
- insert Schedule 3 paragraph 4A, so that a transition member with continuity of service is treated as if all their service had been in the 1987 or 2006 scheme when working out the gratuity and minimum income guarantee (made by regulation 38, so from 1 April 2019);
- extend survivor awards to some unmarried partners, on conditions similar to the pension schemes.
Ill-health retirement for serving officers now comes under the Police Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (SSI 2015/142). Older service sits in the 1987 regulations as they apply in Scotland and the Police Pensions (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (SSI 2007/201), the Scottish "2006 scheme". The SPA's May 2025 paper confirms that ill-health retirement applications are now determined under the 2015 Scottish regulations.
Where this page cites a Scottish injury regulation, we read the original text and then checked the amending instruments for that provision. If a provision was amended by an instrument we did not open, we say so in the "not verified" section.
Who can get an injury on duty award in Scotland
Regulation 11 applies to "a person who ceases or has ceased to be a member of a police force and is permanently disabled as a result of an injury received without their own default in the execution of their duty". If that applies, you are entitled to a gratuity and an injury pension, both calculated under Schedule 3.
The building blocks match the England and Wales rules word for word in substance:
- In the execution of duty (reg 6). Treated as such if you were injured on duty or on a journey necessary to report for duty or return home; if you would not have been injured had you not been known to be a constable; or if the authority decides the second condition may be met and the injury should be treated as a duty injury.
- Without your own default (reg 6(4)). An injury counts as received without default unless it is wholly or mainly due to your own serious and culpable negligence or misconduct.
- Injury includes the mind. Schedule 1 defines injury to include "any injury or disease, whether of body or of mind", and regulation 7(8) says infirmity includes a mental disorder, injury or condition.
- Caused or substantially contributed (reg 8). Disablement is the result of an injury if the injury caused or substantially contributed to it. It need not be the only cause.
- Permanent. For 1987 and 2006 members, disabled when the question is decided and likely to be permanent, assuming normal appropriate medical treatment (reg 7). For 2015 members, medically unfit under the Scottish 2015 regulations and likely to be permanent (reg 7A).
- Degree of disablement. Decided by how far your earning capacity has been affected by the duty injury (reg 7(5) and 7A(5)).
SPPA's guide adds two practical points. You are covered from the day your employment begins, even if you are not in the pension scheme. And the award is for those who have to leave Police Scotland because of the injury: Police Scotland's procedure says an award is only payable once you have left, although you can start an application and be assessed before you go. The same procedure says Special Constables are covered by separate Special Constables (Injury Benefit) (Scotland) Regulations 1987.
On causation, Scottish courts apply the same approach as the English ones. The High Court in Avon and Somerset (2019) summarised Lothian and Borders Police Board v MacDonald [2004], an Outer House case, in which stress from an officer's feelings about the duties he had been given, and about his career, was held not to be an injury received in the execution of duty: something more, external to the officer and impacting on him while carrying out his duties, was needed. Our mental health guide covers how that line has been drawn in other cases.
What is the same as England and Wales
The Schedule 3 table in the Scottish regulations uses the same percentages as England and Wales and Northern Ireland. The regulations talk about the "degree of disablement"; "band 1 to 4" is common shorthand, used by SPPA and on this site, not a term in the regulations.
| Degree of disablement | Loss of earning capacity | Gratuity | Under 5 years | 5 to under 15 | 15 to under 25 | 25 years or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slight (our shorthand: band 1) | 25% or less | 12.5% | 15% | 30% | 45% | 60% |
| Minor (our shorthand: band 2) | more than 25% but not more than 50% | 25% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% |
| Major (our shorthand: band 3) | more than 50% but not more than 75% | 37.5% | 65% | 70% | 75% | 80% |
| Very severe (our shorthand: band 4) | more than 75% | 50% | 85% | 85% | 85% | 85% |
- The three-quarters offset. The injury pension is the minimum income guarantee less 75% of your police pension and less certain DWP benefits for the same injury. SPPA's own worked example uses exactly this: guarantee, minus 75% of the gross police pension, minus relevant DWP benefits. SPPA notes the pension figure is the gross figure before any commutation for a lump sum.
- The 12-month total disablement gratuity. Regulation 12 pays the lesser of 5 times pensionable pay or 4 times the last 12 months' remuneration plus aggregate contributions, where a duty injury leaves you totally and permanently disabled within 12 months.
- Reduction for your own default. Regulation 38 lets the authority reduce an award by up to half if you brought about or substantially contributed to the disablement by your own default, after an SMP decides that question.
- Refusing an examination. If you wilfully or negligently fail to attend an examination or interview the medical authority needs, the authority can decide on the evidence it has, or an appeal is treated as withdrawn (reg 33).
- Reconsideration by agreement. You and the authority can agree to send a final medical decision back to the same medical authority (reg 32(2)).
What is different in Scotland
- One national authority. The Scottish 2015 regulations name the Scottish Police Authority as the "employer" for members of the police force, and the Scottish Ministers as scheme manager (regs 2 and 5). For injury awards, SPPA's guide says the SPA "makes the final decision on all applications" and that the SPA Chief Executive takes the decision.
- SPPA administers and pays. Awards are "administered, calculated and paid by" SPPA (SPPA guide).
- Appeals on non-medical questions go to the sheriff. Regulation 34 of SSI 2007/68: if you are aggrieved by a refusal to admit a claim or a larger award, by a decision on whether refusing medical treatment was reasonable, or by a forfeiture, you may appeal to the sheriff, "who, after enquiring into the case, may make such order in the matter as appears to be just". In England and Wales the equivalent appeal is to the Crown Court.
- Medical appeals are arranged by the Scottish Ministers. For an injury award the authority notifies the Scottish Ministers, who appoint a board of medical referees (reg 31(2) and Schedule 6).
- Different notice periods for the board. As published, Schedule 6 requires at least 21 days' notice of the interview, written evidence at least 10 days before, and any reply at least 5 days before; the 10 and 5 day periods exclude weekends and public holidays. In England and Wales the board must give at least two months' notice and evidence is due at least 35 days before. These Scottish periods are from the original text; see the "not verified" section.
- A different 2015 pension scheme. The Scottish 2015 scheme builds pension at 1/56.1 of pensionable earnings a year, not 1/55.3. SPPA states the current accrual rate is 1/56.1, and the upper tier enhancement formula in regulation 94 also divides by 56.1. Normal pension age is 60 in both.
- Scottish Income Tax. If you live in Scotland, your taxable police pension is taxed at Scottish rates (GOV.UK). The injury pension itself can be paid tax-free under HMRC's guidance wherever you live.
- Inspectors of constabulary and some officers on relevant service have a separate appeal to a three-person tribunal appointed by the Scottish Ministers, with a further appeal on a point of law to the Court of Session (reg 35).
How the process runs in Police Scotland
Police Scotland publishes its procedure, "Ill Health Retirement and Injury on Duty (Officers)", version 3.00, under its freedom of information publication scheme. The published copy says it should not be used as guidance or instruction because it may have been redacted, so treat it as a description of the process, and ask People Direct for the current version that applies to you.
| Stage | What happens | Where it is set out |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Raise it | Talk to your line manager; you, the force or a staff association can ask for an ill-health retirement assessment | Police Scotland procedure |
| 2. Apply | Formal request to People Direct (Police Scotland HR); you are given a named HR contact | Police Scotland procedure; SPPA guide |
| 3. Occupational health | Line manager raises a referral to the Force Medical Advisor through the occupational health provider; you consent to records being obtained | Police Scotland procedure |
| 4. SMP | If the Force Medical Advisor report suggests you may meet the criteria, the case goes to an SMP appointed by the SPA | Police Scotland procedure; SSI 2015/142 reg 71 |
| 5. Comment | You get the SMP report and are asked to comment; for ill-health retirement a Postings Panel looks at whether you can be retained | Police Scotland procedure |
| 6. Recommendation | The Postings Panel recommends to the Director of HR, who recommends to the SPA | Police Scotland procedure; SPA paper 29 May 2025 |
| 7. Decision | The SPA decides: retire on ill-health grounds, or retain (SSI 2015/142 reg 72) | SSI 2015/142 reg 72 |
| 8. Figures | SPPA calculates the pension and any injury award and writes to you | SPPA guide |
- The procedure warns that ill-health retirement "can take a long time" and that not every application ends in retirement: you may be kept in post with adjustments, or redeployed.
- It defines the "ordinary duties" of a constable by listing abilities such as running, walking and standing for reasonable periods, using reasonable force to arrest and restrain, giving evidence in court, making decisions and understanding, retaining and explaining facts and procedures.
- For an injury award, the SMP provides a separate report, shared with you, with a certificate if an award is payable. The HR contact sends it to the Director of HR and then the SPA, and you can comment on it.
- SPPA's guide says that if the SMP does not believe an injury award applies, People Direct sends you the report and you have 28 days to appeal. If an award is approved, SPPA calculates it and you are told in writing.
- The SPA's February 2024 closure report said that, after changes agreed with the occupational health provider, SMPs were expected to start considering ill-health retirement and injury awards at the same time from March 2024. We did not find a later report confirming the start date.
Practical points from SPPA: include full details of each incident in your application, and if you are retiring on ill-health grounds, SPPA recommends applying for an injury award within 14 days of your retirement date, or as soon as possible after that. There is no general time limit in regulation 11 itself.
Ill-health retiral under the Scottish 2015 scheme
The tests are in Part 6 of SSI 2015/142. They mirror the England and Wales 2015 scheme in substance, with Scottish regulation numbers.
- Medical unfitness (reg 64) means inability, through infirmity of mind or body, to perform the ordinary duties of a member of the police force, or to engage in any regular employment. Infirmity includes a mental disorder, injury or condition.
- Permanent (regs 65 and 66). The SMP must find the inability likely to continue until you reach normal pension age (60) or, if the SMP thinks you are likely to die before then, until death. You are taken to receive normal appropriate medical treatment, which does not include treatment the employer decides it is reasonable for you to refuse.
- Lower tier (reg 91(1)). Permanently unfit for the ordinary duties of a police officer, but not for any regular employment. The pension is your accrued pension with no early payment reduction (reg 94(2)).
- Upper tier (reg 91(2)). Permanently unfit for any regular employment, meaning an annual average of at least 30 hours a week (reg 2). An enhancement is added: final pay divided by 56.1, times half the years from leaving to normal pension age (reg 94(5)), with a lower cap if your service is under 5 years (reg 94(4)).
- Qualifying service (reg 92). At least 2 years' qualifying service, or unfitness caused by a duty injury without your own default. Police Scotland's procedure and SPPA say that with under two years you receive a lump sum of at least your contributions; SPPA says that payment is taxable.
- Retire or retain (reg 72). After considering all the circumstances, including your input, the SPA may require you to retire, or require you to continue to serve.
Transition members with continuity of service get a transition member's ill-health pension under Schedule 4, which brings in their 1987 or 2006 scheme service. The McCloud remedy regulations in Scotland (SSI 2023/239) apply some of these provisions to remediable service too. Your figures for mixed service should come from SPPA, not from a general calculator.
After retirement, the lower tier can be reviewed at any time the SPA decides until normal pension age (reg 100). If your condition worsens, an upgrade to the upper tier must be claimed within 5 years of the lower tier pension starting, unless the condition is a progressive one listed for the purpose (reg 102). The upper tier can be reviewed at intervals of not less than 5 years until state pension age (reg 104). The pension can be stopped if you wilfully or negligently fail to receive appropriate treatment after written notices from the SMP and the SPA (reg 105).
Appeals: medical and non-medical
Two kinds of decision, two different routes.
| Decision | Route | Time limit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMP's medical decision on an injury award | Board of medical referees appointed under arrangements approved by the Scottish Ministers | Notice within 28 days of receiving the report (or longer if allowed); grounds within a further 28 days | SSI 2007/68 reg 31, Sch 6 |
| SMP's medical decision on ill-health retirement (2015 scheme) | Appeal board of at least 3 doctors, one a relevant specialist, appointed by the SPA under arrangements approved by the Scottish Ministers | 28 days, then 28 days for grounds (or longer if allowed) | SSI 2015/142 Sch 1 paras 2 and 6 |
| Refusal of a claim or a larger injury award; treatment refusal decision; forfeiture | The sheriff | Not stated in the regulation; take advice promptly | SSI 2007/68 reg 34 |
| Refusal of a pension claim; treatment refusal decision; reduction for default (2015 scheme) | The sheriff | Not stated in the regulation; take advice promptly | SSI 2015/142 reg 197 |
- The sheriff (or a tribunal) is bound by a final medical decision, unless the court refers it back to the medical authority because the evidence before it was inaccurate or inadequate (SSI 2007/68 regs 32 and 36; SSI 2015/142 reg 199).
- Discretionary decisions that the regulations expressly describe as discretionary cannot be appealed under these routes (reg 36(1); SSI 2015/142 reg 199(1)).
- Costs: each side pays its own. If the board decides for the authority and reports the appeal was frivolous or vexatious, the authority may require you to pay up to the board's total fees. If you win, reasonable expenses of attending the interview or examination are refunded (Sch 6 para 9). If an interview is withdrawn or postponed, or late evidence causes a postponement, the authority can recover the resulting fees from the party responsible (para 8).
- Police Scotland's procedure says that if new medical or other relevant information comes to light after the SMP assessment, a further SMP review can be requested before any appeal, and that the medical appeal board works on behalf of the Scottish Government, so its timescales are outside Police Scotland's control.
Our appeals guide explains how boards approach evidence. Its time limits and costs rules are the England and Wales ones; use this page for the Scottish periods.
What the Scottish Police Authority has published
Scotland is unusual in publishing regular figures. The SPA People Committee paper of 29 May 2025 reported, for 2024-25:
- 49 officers approved for ill-health retiral and 6 redeployed instead;
- 36 injury on duty applications approved;
- for 1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025, 29 ill-health cases put to the SPA (26 retired, 3 redeployed) and 22 injury on duty cases, all approved, in each case matching Police Scotland's recommendation.
The same paper analysed injury awards approved over 2022-23 to 2024-25 (113 awards; more than one category can apply to an award). The most common categories were assault or injury by a suspect or member of the public (39), exposure to loss of life (24), unwanted or unfavourable treatment (21) and vehicle accidents on duty (18). The SPA's category list also includes subject of investigation, grievance, whistleblowing, workload, training injuries, viewing of images and Covid-19. These are the SPA's own descriptive categories for approved awards; they are not legal tests, and they do not tell you how any particular claim will be decided.
The earlier closure report (published 23 February 2024) said average waits for an SMP appointment fell from 13 months in 2021-22 to 5 months in 2022-23, and live cases fell over the calendar year from 101 to 57 (ill-health) and from 48 to 39 (injury). It also recorded a working group of the SPA, Police Scotland, Scottish Government, the Scottish Police Federation, ASPS and SPPA to look at, among other things, reviews of decisions, the authority's role on the execution of duty question, whether regulation 12 treats mental and physical injuries fairly, and a possible compensation scheme for officers injured but not retired. We found no published outcome from that group.
For what these figures can and cannot tell you about timing, see how long it takes.
Using our calculator for a Scottish case
Our injury award calculator is built on the England and Wales rules. How far you can use it in Scotland:
- Usable as a guide: the gratuity percentages, the minimum income guarantee percentages by band and service, and the three-quarters offset. These are identical in SSI 2007/68.
- Slightly off: 2015 scheme pension figures. Our engine uses 1/55.3; Scotland uses 1/56.1, so our pension is about 1.4% too high. Because the injury pension falls by three-quarters of the pension, only about a quarter of that difference reaches your total while an injury pension is payable.
- Not modelled: Scottish Income Tax (our take-home figures use England and Wales rates), DWP benefit deductions, revaluation of 2015 pension, and the 1987 and 2006 schemes as they apply in Scotland. For mixed service, use SPPA's figures.
Hypothetical example, not a real case: a constable on £48,940 (a point on the 2026/27 Police Scotland constable scale in our pay data), aged 36, with 9 years' service all in the 2015 scheme, assessed at band 2. Pensions are simplified (today's pay, no revaluation). The calculator rows come from our engine, which uses 1/55.3; the Scottish rows apply the same formulas with 1/56.1 in its place (the upper tier adds half the years to 60, divided by 56.1). After-tax figures assume no other income and treat the injury pension as tax-free.
| Outcome | Ill-health pension a year | Injury pension a year | Total before tax | Total after tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower tier + band 2, our calculator (England and Wales rules) | £7,965 | £18,496 | £26,461 | £26,461 |
| Lower tier + band 2, Scottish accrual (1/56.1) | £7,851 | £18,581 | £26,433 | £26,433 |
| Upper tier + band 2, our calculator (England and Wales rules) | £18,585 | £10,531 | £29,116 | £27,913 |
| Upper tier + band 2, Scottish accrual (1/56.1) | £18,320 | £10,730 | £29,050 | £27,940 |
In this example the totals differ by about £28 a year at the lower tier and £66 at the upper tier, before tax. The one-off gratuity, £12,235, is the same under both. The after-tax column for the Scottish rows uses Scottish Income Tax for 2026 to 2027; the calculator rows use England and Wales rates. If you live in Scotland, the Scottish rows are the closer guide.
- Your average pensionable pay or final pay as SPPA calculates it, not your current salary.
- Your service in each scheme, including any transition or McCloud remedy choices.
- Which DWP benefits SPPA will deduct, and from when.
- Your tax code, and whether you are a Scottish taxpayer.
Reviews after an award
Regulation 37 requires the authority, "at such intervals as may be suitable", to consider whether the degree of your disablement has altered, and to revise the injury pension if it has substantially altered. If you are not also receiving a police pension and the disability has ceased, the injury pension ends.
- SPPA says the SPA can review awards at suitable intervals at its discretion, and the SMP may suggest a review date.
- You can ask for a reassessment yourself by contacting People Direct with up-to-date medical evidence, if you think your condition has improved or worsened.
- SPPA says lump sum payments are not affected by reviews, but any overpayment of the injury allowance will be recovered.
- You must tell SPPA about changes, including changes to relevant DWP benefits and any substantial change in your disability.
The England and Wales case law on reviews (for example that a review looks at whether the degree of disablement has changed, not whether the original decision was right) comes from English courts. It may be persuasive in Scotland, but we have not found a Scottish decision applying it; ask your adviser.
DWP benefits and the injury allowance
SPPA's guide is direct about this, and it can make a real difference to the monthly figure:
- As part of the process you must claim relevant DWP benefits. SPPA names Employment and Support Allowance and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, among others.
- Personal Independence Payment is not treated as a relevant benefit.
- SPPA says relevant benefits "will be deducted regardless of whether you claim them or not until entitlement can be established", so it is in your interest to establish entitlement.
- The State Pension is not taken into account.
For how these deductions work in principle, see industrial injuries benefit and injury pension deductions. That guide follows the England and Wales schedule, which has had amendments of its own; the Scottish schedule was amended separately, so confirm the Scottish position with SPPA.
Before you apply: what to gather
Nothing here is required by the regulations in this form; it is the information the SPPA guide and the Police Scotland procedure say the SMP and the SPA will look for, gathered in one place.
- For each incident: the date, the location, what happened, the injury, and any reference number (SPPA asks for this detail).
- Whether the injury was logged at the time; the procedure tells managers to record duty injuries on the force's accident system.
- Your consent forms for medical records, and copies of reports from your own GP and specialists.
- Treatment you have had, how it went, and any treatment still recommended (permanence is judged assuming normal appropriate treatment).
- What you can and cannot do at work, and for how long: this drives both the tier and the degree of disablement.
- Your service history across forces and schemes, so SPPA can work out the right service column and pay.
- Any DWP benefit claims and decisions, because SPPA will ask about them.
Keep copies of everything you send and receive, and note the date you receive any SMP report. The 28-day appeal clock runs from receipt, and the authority can allow longer if you ask.
What people get wrong about the Scottish rules
- "Scottish awards are paid at different rates." The Schedule 3 percentages are the same as in England and Wales and Northern Ireland. What differs is the pension they are offset against and how you are taxed.
- "Appeals go to the Crown Court." Not in Scotland. Medical questions go to a board of medical referees; non-medical refusals go to the sheriff.
- "If the SMP says I am permanently unfit, I will be retired." The SPA may require you to keep serving in a role you can do (SSI 2015/142 reg 72), and Police Scotland's procedure says it aims to retain officers wherever practical. The SPA's own figures show some officers redeployed each year.
- "I have to apply before I leave." You can apply after leaving, though SPPA recommends applying within 14 days of an ill-health retirement or as soon as possible after.
- "I don't need to claim DWP benefits." SPPA says relevant benefits are deducted whether or not you claim them until entitlement is established.
- "A review can only go down." A review can move the degree of disablement either way, and you can ask for one yourself if your condition worsens.
- "An English calculator gives my exact figure." It gives a useful guide to the award, but the Scottish 2015 accrual rate and Scottish tax mean your figures will differ.
Who can help in Scotland
- Your staff association. The Scottish Police Federation, or ASPS for superintendents. The Police Scotland procedure says a staff association can submit a request for you, and suggests you may wish to contact them when considering an application.
- People Direct, Police Scotland's HR team, for applications and your named HR contact.
- SPPA, for pension and award figures and benefit questions.
- A solicitor in Scotland, especially before any appeal to the sheriff.
- If you are struggling, your GP, or Samaritans on 116 123 at any time, free from any phone. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999. See our support directory.
If you are at the start: ask People Direct for the current procedure and a named HR contact, speak to your Federation or ASPS representative, and keep a dated note of each incident you want considered. If you already have an SMP report, the date that matters most is 28 days from when you received it. Our calculator can give you a rough idea of the money while you wait for SPPA's figures.
Not verified / needs checking
- The consolidated Scottish injury regulations. legislation.gov.uk has not consolidated SSI 2007/68. We read the amendments that matter most to this page (SSI 2019/68), but not every one of the roughly 119 listed changes. The changes list shows none to regulations 31 or 34 or Schedule 6; the 21, 10 and 5 day periods above are from the original text.
- The legal basis for the SPA's role under the injury regulations. SPPA, the SPA and Police Scotland all say the SPA decides. We did not open the 2013 police reform orders that transferred the old police authorities' functions.
- Time limits for an appeal to the sheriff. The regulations set none that we found. Court rules may; take advice promptly.
- Who runs Scottish medical appeal boards now. We found no current Scottish Government page naming a provider.
- The Police Scotland procedure date. The external version 3.00 we read shows no publication date; its version table gives an approval date of 16 July 2025.
- Tax on the lump sum gratuity. SPPA describes it as tax free; HMRC's manual speaks of injury benefit payments generally. Confirm with SPPA or HMRC for your case.
- Figures after March 2025. We found no later SPA approval figures than the May 2025 paper.
- Legacy scheme detail. We did not model the 1987 or Scottish 2006 scheme ill-health pensions; SPPA can.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Police Scotland injury award the same as in England and Wales?
The money side is the same in structure. The Scottish regulations (SSI 2007/68) use the same Schedule 3 percentages for the gratuity and the minimum income guarantee, the same test for injury received in the execution of duty, and the same rule reducing the injury pension by three-quarters of your police pension. The differences are in who decides (the Scottish Police Authority), who pays (SPPA), where non-medical appeals go (the sheriff) and in the Scottish 2015 pension scheme itself.
Who decides injury on duty awards for Police Scotland officers?
The Scottish Police Authority decides, based on the report of a Selected Medical Practitioner. SPPA's guide says the SPA Chief Executive makes the final decision, and an SPA paper of May 2025 describes approvals made under authority delegated to the Chief Executive. SPPA then calculates and pays the award.
How do I apply for an injury on duty award in Police Scotland?
SPPA's guide says to contact People Direct, Police Scotland's HR team, and to include full details of the incidents: date, location, what happened and the injury. Police Scotland's procedure says an application can be made at any time but an award is only payable once you have left, and that you can be assessed by the SMP before you leave.
What are the injury award bands in Scotland?
The same four as England and Wales: slight (25% or less loss of earning capacity), minor (over 25% to 50%), major (over 50% to 75%) and very severe (over 75%). The one-off gratuity is 12.5%, 25%, 37.5% or 50% of average pensionable pay, and the minimum income guarantee depends on the band and your years of service.
How do I appeal an SMP decision in Scotland?
Give notice of appeal within 28 days of receiving the SMP report (the authority can allow longer), then a written statement of grounds within a further 28 days. For an injury award the Scottish Ministers then appoint a board of medical referees. For ill-health retirement under the Scottish 2015 scheme, the appeal goes to an appeal board of at least three doctors. Police Scotland's procedure says you can ask for a further SMP review first if new evidence comes to light.
Where do non-medical appeals go in Scotland?
To the sheriff. Regulation 34 of the Scottish injury regulations lets you appeal to the sheriff if the authority refuses a claim or a larger award, decides that refusing medical treatment was unreasonable, or forfeits an award. Regulation 197 of the Scottish 2015 pension regulations does the same for pension decisions. The sheriff is bound by the final medical decision unless it is referred back for reconsideration.
Can I use the PolicePay injury award calculator for a Police Scotland case?
As a rough guide, yes, for the injury award part: the band percentages and the three-quarters offset are the same. Our calculator uses England and Wales pension rules, so it slightly overstates a Scottish 2015 scheme ill-health pension (1/55.3 against Scotland's 1/56.1) and works out tax at England and Wales rates. Use SPPA's figures for anything you rely on.
How many Police Scotland officers are ill-health retired each year?
The SPA reported that in 2024-25 it approved 49 officers for ill-health retiral, 6 officers were redeployed instead, and 36 injury on duty awards were approved. These are approvals, not applications, so they do not tell you a success rate.
Is a Police Scotland injury award tax-free?
HMRC's manual says payments from police injury benefit schemes can be paid tax-free, while the ill-health pension itself is taxable. SPPA's guide describes both the injury allowance and the lump sum as tax free. If you live in Scotland, the taxable police pension is taxed at Scottish Income Tax rates. Check your own position with SPPA.
Can I apply after I have left Police Scotland?
Yes. The regulations apply to a person who has ceased to be a member of a police force and is permanently disabled by a duty injury, and set no general time limit for claiming. If you became disabled after leaving, no injury pension is paid for the period before you became disabled. SPPA recommends that officers retiring on ill-health grounds apply within 14 days of retirement, or as soon as possible after.
Can a Police Scotland injury award be reviewed?
Yes. The SPA must consider at suitable intervals whether your degree of disablement has altered and revise the injury pension if it has substantially altered (regulation 37). SPPA says you can also ask for a reassessment with up-to-date medical evidence, and that the lump sum is not affected by a review.
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) (Scotland) Regulations 2007, SSI 2007/68 (legislation.gov.uk, original text) — regs 1, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 30 to 38, Schedules 1, 3 and 6. Only the as-made text is published; read with the amendments below (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Changes affecting SSI 2007/68 (legislation.gov.uk) — about 119 amendments listed as not yet applied to the online text; none listed for regs 31 or 34 or Schedule 6 (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Pensions (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2019, SSI 2019/68 — regs 1 and 21 to 38: regulation 7A for 2015 scheme members and transition rules; regs 21 to 35 have effect from 1 April 2015, the rest from 1 April 2019 (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2015, SSI 2015/142 — regs 2, 5, 49, 64 to 66, 71, 72, 91, 92, 94, 97, 100 to 105, 197, 199 and Schedule 1 (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Scottish Public Pensions Agency: I am ill or injured (police) — how to apply, SMP questions, bands, who decides, payment, reviews, DWP benefits, ill-health tiers (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Scottish Public Pensions Agency: how your police pension works — 2015 scheme accrual rate 1/56.1; normal pension age 60 (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Police Scotland: Ill Health Retirement and Injury on Duty (Officers) procedure, v3.00 — process steps, Postings Panel, ordinary duties list, appeals. Published under the FOI scheme; the document says it may be redacted (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Scottish Police Authority: Ill Health Retiral and Injury on Duty, People Committee 29 May 2025 — 2024-25 approvals; injury award causal analysis 2022-2025; regulation 30 referral (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Scottish Police Authority: Ill Health Retirement Review Closure Report (published 23 February 2024) — SMP appointment waits; fast-track trial; working group topics (accessed 7 October 2026)
- R (Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset) v Police Medical Appeal Board [2019] EWHC 557 (Admin) — summary of Lothian and Borders Police Board v MacDonald [2004] SLT 1295 (Court of Session, Outer House) on causation (accessed 7 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Scottish Income Tax — applies to pension income if you live in Scotland; 2026 to 2027 bands (accessed 7 October 2026)
- HMRC Employment Income Manual EIM75900 (injury benefit schemes, including police and firefighters) — injury benefit 'can be paid tax-free'; the ill-health pension is taxable (accessed 7 October 2026)
- Public Service Pensions Act 2013, section 10 — normal pension age for police officers is 60 (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.