Is Opting Out of the Police Pension Worth It?
Opting out lifts your take-home now, but the maths almost always favours staying in. Here is why.
The Short Answer
For almost everyone, opting out is a poor deal. You contribute between 12.88% and 14.22% of pensionable pay, which feels steep on the payslip.
But your force contributes 35.3% on top, and you get income tax relief on your own contribution. Opting out throws all of that away.
What You Give Up
The employer contribution builds a guaranteed, inflation-protected income for life. Replicating a defined-benefit pension like this privately is close to impossible.
You also lose the ill-health and death-in-service protection linked to scheme membership.
Before You Decide
See the real take-home effect of your contribution first. The take-home calculator shows your pay with the pension on and off.