Leaving
Police Staff
For police staff, designated officers and PCSOs. Your pension is in the LGPS, not the police scheme and your notice comes from your contract, so the officer rules do not apply. Here is what you keep, when it is paid, what notice to give and where staff go next.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 21 October 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
With under 2 years in the LGPS you can take a refund of your contributions, less 20% tax. With 2 years or more you keep a deferred LGPS pension, increased with inflation and paid in full at your State Pension age (65 at the earliest), or from 55 with a reduction. Your notice is in your contract; the legal minimum is one week. Untaken statutory holiday is paid when you leave.
Who this guide is for
Police staff are employees of the chief constable or the police and crime commissioner, not office holders like warranted officers. That covers PCSOs, call handlers and control room staff, detention officers, police staff investigators, analysts, crime scene investigators and every support role. Most are in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
Leaving is common. In the year to 31 March 2026, 7,612 full-time equivalent police staff and designated officers left forces in England and Wales, a leaver rate of 9.3% and 949 PCSOs left, a rate of 13.0%. Both figures exclude transfers between forces (Home Office, 22 July 2026).
If you are a warranted officer, your pension, notice and re-joining rules are in the officer leaving plan. If you work for the Metropolitan Police, check your pension scheme with the Met: Met staff are not employed by an LGPS scheme employer.
Your route out: what each one means
| Route | Notice and pay | Pension | Read next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resign for another job | Contractual notice. Pay stops on your last day. | Refund under 2 years; deferred LGPS pension with 2 years or more. If the new job is also in the LGPS, your membership can be joined up. | Notice, moving employer |
| Leave to become a police officer | Contractual notice to your force (or a transfer of employment within it). | Your LGPS benefits stay in the LGPS. Officer service builds in the police scheme from your start date. | PCSO to police officer, LGPS vs police pension |
| Retire | Contractual notice. Ask the fund for a retirement quote first. | Paid in full at your Normal Pension Age (State Pension age, minimum 65), or from 55 with a reduction. | When it is paid |
| Redundancy | Set by the redundancy process, not your resignation. | Aged 55 or over and made redundant: the LGPS pays your pension straight away without reduction (ask the fund to confirm). | Staff redundancy pay |
| Ill-health | A process through your employer and an independent registered medical practitioner. | The LGPS has three tiers of ill-health pension, depending on how likely you are to work again. | Ill-health |
| Dismissal | Ends employment on the decision date (subject to contractual notice or pay in lieu). | The pension you built stays yours. Refund or deferred rules apply as for any leaver. | Dismissal |
Your LGPS pension on leaving
The LGPS is a career average defined benefit scheme. Each year you build a slice of pension based on that year's pay, revalued each year for inflation. When you leave, you stop building new slices, but the pension you have built does not disappear. What happens to it depends mainly on one number: your qualifying membership.
Your force's fund (the local LGPS fund it belongs to) sends you a leaver statement after you go. Check it against your own dates and pay. If it is wrong, query it straight away.
Refund or deferred pension: the 2-year line
| Your membership | What you get | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years' qualifying membership | Refund of your own contributions (regulation 18) | Tax is taken first: 20% on the first £20,000, 50% above (Finance Act 2004, s205). If it is not paid within a year of leaving, interest is added. Unclaimed refunds are paid automatically after 5 years, or the day before age 75 if sooner. |
| 2 years or more | Deferred pension (regulation 30) | Stays in the fund, increased each year in line with inflation (Pensions Increase orders) and paid from your Normal Pension Age, or earlier with a reduction from 55. |
| Re-joining an LGPS employer later | Previous membership joined up automatically | Unless you elect within 12 months of rejoining to keep the two separate (regulation 22(8)). Think before you take a refund if you may come back. |
A refund gives back only your own contributions, minus 20% tax and you lose the employer's share and the pension itself. If you are close to 2 years, or may join another LGPS employer (another force, a council, a school or college), ask the fund what waiting or joining up would mean before you claim.
Worked example (illustrative). A PCSO on £33,000 pays 6.5% into the LGPS (the £29,001 to £47,300 band), about £2,145 a year. After 18 months they have paid about £3,218. A refund would be about £2,574 after the 20% charge. With 2 years' membership they would instead keep a deferred pension and the employer's contributions behind it, which no refund can replace.
When a deferred LGPS pension can be paid
- In full at your Normal Pension Age. That is your State Pension age, or 65 if that is later (LGPS Regulations 2013, Schedule 1).
- Early, from 55, with a reduction. You can choose to take it from 55. It is reduced for early payment, because it is paid for longer (regulation 30(5)).
- The minimum pension age is changing. The Finance Act 2004 raises the normal minimum pension age to 57 on 6 April 2028. The LGPS regulations we read still say 55. Ask your fund how the change applies to you before planning around 55.
- Later, up to 75, with an increase. You can delay payment beyond Normal Pension Age; it is increased for late payment.
- On ill-health. A deferred member who becomes permanently unable to work may be able to have it paid early without reduction. Ask the fund.
The officer scheme is different: police officers have their own pension ages and the 2028 change does not apply to uniformed services schemes in the same way. Do not use officer rules for staff service.
Moving to another employer
- Another LGPS employer (another force, a council, an academy or college). Your previous LGPS membership is joined up with the new account automatically unless you elect, within 12 months of rejoining, to keep them separate (regulation 22(8)). Which is better depends on your pay history: ask both funds.
- Becoming a police officer. You leave the LGPS for future service and join the police scheme. Your LGPS benefits stay in the LGPS. See PCSO to police officer and LGPS vs the police pension.
- A private employer. Your deferred LGPS pension stays where it is. Transferring it out to a defined contribution pension means giving up a guaranteed income; for larger sums the law requires regulated advice first. Get it before you decide.
- The Civil Service or NHS. Different schemes. Ask the new scheme whether it accepts a transfer and on what terms.
LGPS contribution bands for 2026/27
What you pay in depends on your actual pensionable pay. These bands apply from 1 April 2026. They also tell you roughly what a refund would be worth if you leave under 2 years.
| Actual pensionable pay | Main section | 50/50 section |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £18,400 | 5.5% | 2.75% |
| £18,401 to £29,000 | 5.8% | 2.9% |
| £29,001 to £47,300 | 6.5% | 3.25% |
| £47,301 to £59,800 | 6.8% | 3.4% |
| £59,801 to £84,000 | 8.5% | 4.25% |
| £84,001 to £119,100 | 9.9% | 4.95% |
| £119,101 to £140,400 | 10.5% | 5.25% |
| £140,401 to £210,700 | 11.4% | 5.7% |
| £210,701 or more | 12.5% | 6.25% |
Your employer pays in too. The employer rate is set for each employer by its fund's actuary at each valuation (regulation 62), so it differs between forces. Ask HR or your fund for your force's rate if you want to compare it with a new employer's offer.
Notice: what you must give
Police staff notice is contractual. The Police Staff Council handbook says notice periods "should be determined locally and clearly defined in their contract". Your contract, offer letter or force HR policy has the figure. Check it rather than assume the officer rule of one month.
- The legal minimum you must give is one week once you have worked for a month (Employment Rights Act 1996, s86). A contract can require more and usually does.
- The legal minimum your employer must give you is one week after a month's employment, then one week for each full year of service from 2 years, up to 12 weeks.
- Give notice in writing and keep a copy. State your last day. The officer resignation letter builder works for staff if you change the notice line.
- Leaving early. If you need a shorter notice period, ask. Your manager can agree it in writing. Leaving without agreement is a breach of contract.
Final pay, holiday and anything you owe
- Untaken holiday. You are entitled to be paid for statutory holiday you have not taken when you leave. What happens to contractual leave above that minimum and to leave taken in advance, depends on your contract and force policy.
- Overtime and time off in lieu. Ask payroll in writing how any balance is paid.
- Repayment clauses. Check for training, qualification, relocation or season ticket loan repayments.
- Pay rises and back pay. If a staff pay award is agreed after you leave but backdated to a date when you were employed, ask whether leavers receive the arrears. See the 2026 staff pay tracker and back pay explained.
- Your P45 and pension leaver form. Keep both. The fund uses the leaver form to work out your deferred pension or refund.
Redundancy, ill-health and dismissal
The immediate unreduced pension on redundancy at 55 or over can cost your employer a large "strain" payment, which is why forces sometimes look hard at who is made redundant. Ask the fund for a redundancy pension quote as early as you can.
Where police staff and PCSOs go next
No official data tracks where police staff go after leaving, so this is a map of options by role, not a prediction. Pay ranges for most of these destinations, with sources, are on jobs for ex-police officers; most apply equally to staff.
| Your role | Where to look | What carries across |
|---|---|---|
| Call handler, control room | Emergency services control rooms (ambulance, fire), customer operations, incident management | Calm call handling under pressure, risk assessment, accurate records |
| Detention officer, custody | Prison officer, secure settings, health and social care compliance | Welfare risk, PACE compliance, safeguarding, record keeping |
| Police staff investigator | Fraud and counter fraud, council investigation, DWP and HMRC investigation, insurance claims, workplace investigations | PIP accreditation (if held), interviewing, case files, disclosure |
| Intelligence analyst | Intelligence, data and risk analysis in government, banks and regulators | Analysis, briefing, information handling |
| Crime scene investigator | Forensic services, laboratory and scene roles, health and safety | Evidence handling, chain of custody, scene management |
| PCSO | Becoming a constable, council enforcement and community safety, housing, youth work, security | Community engagement, anti-social behaviour, partnership work, safeguarding referrals |
| HR, finance, admin, IT | The same profession in any sector, the Civil Service, local government | Your professional skills, plus working with vetting and sensitive data |
PCSOs have their own guide: PCSO career change, including becoming a constable.
Your CV and your vetting
- Translate police language. Most of the free CV translator works for staff roles: custody, investigation, control room, intelligence and community work.
- Keep it confidential. No operation names, victim or suspect details, intelligence or force systems. Section 170 of the Data Protection Act 2018 still applies after you leave.
- Vetting. Police vetting does not transfer, but working at your vetting level is worth stating. National security clearance lapses on leaving and can be reinstated in another cleared role within 12 months.
- Want it done with you? The Ex-Police CV Pack (£39.99, one-off, 12 months' access, no subscription) writes your CV, cover letter, LinkedIn and interview stories from what you tell it. The free translator and the ex-police CV guide may be all you need.
Before you hand in your notice
- Check your membership length on your annual benefit statement or the fund's member portal. Close to 2 years? Ask what waiting would change.
- Check your contract's notice period and any repayment clauses.
- Ask about the alternatives: reduced hours, flexible working, a secondment or a move to another team.
- If health is the reason, ask HR and occupational health about ill-health retirement before you resign.
- Compare the full package of any new job: salary, the employer's pension contribution, leave and hours.
- Write your notice letter and agree your last day in writing.
- Settle final pay: holiday, TOIL, overtime, any back pay due.
- Return kit and ID, and take nothing from force systems.
- Keep your P45 and pension leaver statement, and update your address with the fund whenever you move.
What people get wrong
- "Police staff are in the police pension." No. Most are in the LGPS, a separate scheme with different pension ages.
- "I can always take my pension money out." Only under 2 years' membership and only your own contributions, less tax.
- "My deferred pension is frozen." It is increased each year in line with inflation.
- "Notice is one month for everyone." That is the officer rule. Staff notice is whatever your contract says.
- "If I join the police, my LGPS becomes police pension." No. They stay separate unless a transfer is offered and you choose it.
What we could not verify and how we handled it
- LGPS member-site wording. lgpsmember.org was unreachable when we checked (21 October 2026), so rules are quoted from the regulations on legislation.gov.uk.
- How the LGPS applies the 2028 minimum pension age change. The regulations we read still say 55. Ask your fund.
- Conditions on refunds such as rejoining within a month, or transferred-in benefits. These appear on fund websites, not in the regulations we read.
- Transfer-out time limits. Not confirmed from a primary source; ask the fund.
- Each force's notice periods. Set locally; check your contract.
- Where police staff go after leaving. No official data.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to my police staff pension when I leave?
Most police staff and PCSOs are in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). With under 2 years' qualifying membership you can take a refund of your own contributions, less tax. With 2 years or more you keep a deferred LGPS pension, paid from your Normal Pension Age (State Pension age, minimum 65), or from 55 with a reduction.
Can I get my LGPS contributions back?
Only if you have under 2 years' qualifying membership (regulation 18 of the LGPS Regulations 2013). Tax is deducted: 20% on the first £20,000 and 50% above. If you do not claim it, it is paid automatically after 5 years, or the day before you turn 75 if sooner. With 2 years or more there is no refund: you get a deferred pension instead.
When can I take my deferred LGPS pension?
In full at your Normal Pension Age, which is your State Pension age or 65 if later. You can choose to take it from 55 with a reduction for early payment, or delay it up to 75 with an increase. The UK minimum pension age rises to 57 on 6 April 2028; how the LGPS applies that to you should be confirmed with your fund.
What notice do police staff have to give?
Whatever your contract says. The Police Staff Council handbook leaves notice to local agreement and says it should be clearly set out in your contract. The legal minimum you must give after a month's employment is one week (Employment Rights Act 1996, s86). Check your contract and your force's HR policy.
Am I paid for untaken holiday when I leave?
You are entitled to be paid for statutory holiday you have not taken when you leave (GOV.UK). Your contract and force policy set what happens to leave above the statutory minimum and whether leave taken in excess is clawed back from final pay.
If I join another council or police force, what happens to my LGPS?
If you join another LGPS employer, your previous membership is normally joined up with the new one automatically, unless you choose within 12 months of rejoining to keep them separate (regulation 22(8)). Ask both funds before deciding.
If I become a police officer, does my LGPS move to the police scheme?
No. Officers are in the police pension scheme, a different scheme. Your LGPS benefits stay in the LGPS as a deferred pension (or a refund under 2 years) and you build police scheme pension from the day you become an officer. Ask your fund about any transfer option.
Are Metropolitan Police staff in the LGPS?
Check with the Met. Employment by the Commissioner is listed for Civil Service pension arrangements and the Commissioner is not among the LGPS scheme employers. Met staff should read their own scheme's leaver rules.
How many police staff and PCSOs leave each year?
In the year to 31 March 2026, 7,612 FTE police staff and designated officers left forces in England and Wales (a leaver rate of 9.3%) and 949 FTE PCSOs left (13.0%), excluding transfers (Home Office, 22 July 2026).
What jobs do ex-police staff go into?
Often the same profession elsewhere (HR, finance, IT), or roles that use policing experience: emergency control rooms, prisons, investigation and counter fraud, intelligence and data analysis, forensic work and council enforcement. There is no official data on where police staff go, so we do not claim proportions.
Do I keep my vetting when I leave?
Police vetting is granted for policing and does not transfer. If you held national security vetting through your role, it lapses when a leaver notification is submitted and may be reinstated if you move to another cleared role within 12 months.
Does the salary match calculator work for police staff?
Not as built: it uses officer pay scales and the police scheme's employer rate. For staff, your LGPS employer rate is set for your force by its fund. Ask your fund or HR for it and compare it with what a new employer pays in.
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 21 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.
- Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/2356), revised text : reg 18 refunds (under 2 years, 5-year automatic payment); reg 22(8) aggregation; reg 30 deferred and early payment; reg 35 ill-health; reg 62 employer rates; Schedule 1 Normal Pension Age (accessed 21 October 2026)
- LGPS Regulations 2013, regulation 18 (refund of contributions) : refund with under two years' qualifying service; interest after a year; paid after five years or before 75 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- LGPS Regulations 2013, regulation 30 (retirement benefits) : deferred members with two years; early payment from 55 with reduction; deferral to 75; immediate pension on redundancy at 55 or over (reg 30(7)) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Finance Act 2004, section 205 (short service refund lump sum charge) : 20% up to £20,000, 50% above (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Finance Act 2004, section 279 (normal minimum pension age) : 57 on and after 6 April 2028 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Buckinghamshire Pension Fund: 2026/27 employee contribution rates (18 March 2026) : LGPS England and Wales bands from 1 April 2026 (accessed 21 October 2026)
- LGPS Scheme Advisory Board : national scheme information and valuation reports (accessed 21 October 2026)
- LGPS member website (lgpsmember.org) : member guidance; unreachable on 21 October 2026, so not used for wording (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Police Staff Council Handbook (October 2024) : Part 2, period of notice: determined locally and set out in the contract (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Employment Rights Act 1996, section 86 : minimum notice each way (accessed 21 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: holiday entitlement : pay for untaken statutory leave when you leave; 5.6 weeks' minimum (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Home Office: Police workforce, England and Wales: 31 March 2026 (22 July 2026) : staff and designated officers 7,612 FTE leavers (9.3%); PCSOs 949 FTE (13.0%) (accessed 21 October 2026)
- UK Security Vetting: aftercare and existing clearances : clearance lapses on leaving; reinstatement within 12 months (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: Vetting Code of Practice : police vetting is for policing and granted for a defined period (accessed 21 October 2026)
- Data Protection Act 2018, section 170 : offence to obtain, disclose or retain personal data without the controller's consent (accessed 21 October 2026)
- College of Policing: barred list : the barred list covers police staff dismissed for gross misconduct as well as officers (accessed 21 October 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Staff pay, pension and the officer leaving plan
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent reference site. This page is general information, not financial, pension, tax, employment-law or careers advice and it cannot consider your personal circumstances. Your LGPS fund and your force's HR team hold the figures and terms that apply to you and for large pension decisions an FCA-authorised adviser can help. Rules and figures change, so check the sources for the date you are reading this. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 21 October 2026.