PIPIN News

21st July 2018.
In a ruling on 20th July 2018, that may have significance for many other disabled former police officers, HHJ Moore has decided that Chief Constables who require a police officer to retire on the grounds of permanent disablement can be under a legal duty to refer the officer to an SMP to decide whether the officer is entitled to a police injury pension.  The Judge decided the legal duty will arise in a case where the SMP report contains information which indicates that that the officer may have a right to a police injury pension.  This positive duty means that the Chief Constable is required to take the initiative by making an SMP referral in appropriate cases, and cannot just wait until the officer makes a request.
The Judge also followed the cases of Tully and Schilling in deciding that the police pension system provided for back-dated pensions payable from the date of retirement for officers who were permanently disabled on retirement, even if the pension award decision was taken at a later date.

More on this case from David Lock QC:-
Chief Constables are under positive duty to refer permanently disabled police officers to SMP

The Pipin Forum has now closed. IOD's are reminded that IODPA have very active secure forums. IODPA has members from all UK police forces and it is in the interest of all IOD's to become members.

13th July 2018.

Staffordshire have recently continued their review programme using yet another SMP.  As many will know, IOD's have complied with the requirements of the Regulations by submitting to the required examination or interview but have not consented to the force accessing certain personal and medical records demanded by the force.  In doing so, IOD's are acting legitimately and in accordance with the legal advice provided by our legal team. The Chief Constable, as Police Pensions Authority, has now written to ex officers requesting them to attend a meeting where the next stage of the procedure will be explained.  Regulation 33 is specifically mentioned and therefore the next stage of how the force intend to proceed is predictable. Ex officers should not be intimidated, the outcome of this situation will not be dictated by the PPA but will be ultimately decided in the High Court. 
For more information on this development, please contact IODPA  -  admin@iodpa.org

22nd June 2018.
IODPA have circulated the following information from the Police Dependents Trust:

According to our research; 66% of those who left the service because of an injury on duty worry about having enough money to pay for unexpected expenses, yet less than 22% knows the Police Dependants’ Trust could help. We exist to provide financial aid to those seriously hurt either physically or psychologically due to the hazards of policing and we need Ambassador volunteers to be our local representatives, spreading the word and raising awareness of how we can help.
Ambassadors will be representing the Trust at local events, conduct presentations and spreading the word; ensuring that those that need help know how to turn to us.
Full training and support will be provided for and once inducted volunteering times will be flexible ranging from 2 – 8 hours a month. If you are interested please contact us for more information at Volunteer@PDTrust.org or check out our website: https://www.pdtrust.org/get-involved/volunteer/
Closing date for applications is 31st August

Injury on Duty Research from Police Dependents Trust

INJURY ON DUTY PROJECT FORMER POLICE OFFICERS FINAL REPORT

25th May 2018.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is an evolution of the current Data Protection Act (1998) and comes into effect today.   IOD's will be aware of recent ICO (Information Commissioner's Office) involvement concerning data held by our forces and has acted on complaints that police forces have breached the Data Protection Act with their demands for and retention of excessive amounts of personal data and medical records. You can access personal information that is held by submitting a Subject Access Request (SAR), this is useful to check the relevance and accuracy of the information held on you.
The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
How to request your personal information.

26th April 2018.
Our legal team have won another very important Judicial Review against Cheshire Constabulary in the Manchester Administrative Court on the 14th March 2018. This case centres around whether an SMP who is considering an injury award can revisit the same questions already answered during the ill-health retirement process.  Mr Justice LANE quashed the decision of the PMAB stating "police officers who are required to retire on the grounds of permanent disablement are entitled to a degree of finality in respect of their entitlement to pensions. A police officer who has to retire as a result of what is then considered to be permanent disablement caused in the line of duty should not be at the mercy of a subsequent medical assessment, that he or she was not, in fact, permanently disabled".
Full Judgement.
​Press Release from Haven Solicitors.

The latest news from Derbyshire NARPO regarding IOD reviews is that the force still don't have plans to implement a programme.

Members of IODPA are reminded that the next national conference will take place on 21st October, local meetings will be held when necessary in those force areas where reviews are being conducted. For further details please contact IODPA.
 
18th March 2018.
There is an important Employment Tribunal currently underway in Northumbria regarding a Northumbria IOD. This item from the Newcastle Chronicle gives the background:
"Hero bobby fighting to stop Northumbria Police reviewing his injury payout"
The Chief Constable of Essex has responded to a letter from Essex Narpo re the force's decision to start reviews:
Letter from Essex Chief Constable

25th February 2018.
IOD's representing eighteen UK police forces attended today's IODPA Conference. As expected, there was plenty to discuss, especially regarding the ongoing situation in Staffordshire and Essex, where review notifications have been sent out. There were updates on other forces and discussions on a number of subjects including Regulation 37, data issues, employment tribunals and audio recording of reviews. Solicitors from the legal team were present throughout the weekend and conducted a question and answer session as well as providing advice, guidance and opinion on a variety of pertinent issues.

23rd February 2018.
An initial three day Employment Tribunal hearing brought by a group of Avon & Somerset IOD's against their force has concluded today with the case going forward to a full trial, expected to last two weeks, in October.  This is an important issue which affects all IOD's

16th February 2018.
The Pensions Ombudsman has released the latest IOD related determination   -  PO-17071 .  Although this has resulted in a negative outcome, it is just one aspect of a number of areas of complaint made by our IOD colleague which have had greater success.

1st February 2018.
Essex Narpo have issued sound advice for those Essex colleagues who are facing review.  
Essex Narpo Advice 
There is considerable concern about the way that the force has embarked on this review programme apparently without regard for recent developments. We are all particularly concerned that the questionnaire / consents form which the force requires it's IOD pensioners to complete is highly intrusive and outrageous.  The force also appear to be attempting to mislead pensioners by misrepresenting the Regulations in their letter which warns that: a "procedure where a pensioner willfully or negligently fails to submit him/herself for medical examination or attend interviews / completion of review questionnaire as the pension authority consider necessary".  The Regulations actually say: the person concerned wilfully or negligently fails to submit himself to such medical examination or to attend such interviews as the medical authority may consider necessary in order to enable him to make his decision".
The force appear to be trying to gain compliance through fear and IOD's should not be intimidated. Very good advice is available through IODPA and the legal team. 

IODPA advise members that the Conference on 25th February is now fully subscribed.  for further details; admin@iodpa.org. 
​
​18th January 2018.
We are informed that Essex Police have decided to commence IOD reviews.

8th January 2018.
The next IODPA national conference will be held on 25th February and the association advises that only a few places remain. Any members who have not registered and wish to attend should contact admin@iodpa.org without delay. The conference venue is at a central location with good motorway access. Three solicitors from the legal team have already confirmed that they will be attending.
Please contact IODPA for further information.

5th January 2018.
The Pensions Ombudsman has published the latest IOD determination in which an Avon and Somerset IOD pensioner has had the complaint partly upheld.

PO-12007  Mr S.  20th December 2017.
Staffordshire have apparently contacted some IOD’s who have received Subject Access Reports (SAR) seeking the return of documentation. Quite why this is occurring is not yet known but this move has caused concern among affected IOD’s.
​
1st January 2018.
As we start the New Year it is worthwhile to take a look back at 2017. 

2017 saw a number of IOD issues clarified through successful challenges in the Courts and official bodies like the Information Commissioners Office. These clarifications include issues such as police pay comparator/ uninjured earning capacity and the provision of medical records and personal data.  In some respects the situation appears to have become more complex and a further important development was the ruling that IOD pensions are an occupational pension in relation to the Equality Act 2010.  Our legal team, including David Lock QC, have provided advice and opinion on a number of aspects of the IOD situation.

IODPA has continued to evolve rapidly and 2017 saw it gain full charitable status. IODPA is  very proactive, supporting IOD's and defending our pensions. Although it is still early days the organisation is trying to introduce innovative support and services that have not been available elsewhere . IODPA has held two very successful national conferences in 2017 as well as a number of local support meetings in areas where review programmes are underway. 

2017 saw reviews carried out in some force areas with Staffordshire starting their controversial programme late in the year. Part way through the programme, their SMP withdrew his services abruptly and we await news of how the force intends to continue its planned reviews for early in the New Year. We can expect other forces to introduce review programmes which are likely to consist of reworking previous failed policies and Police Pension Authorities (Chief Constables) will always claim that their process is lawful, fair and in accordance with the Regulations. The purpose of the Regulations is to ensure that the pensioner receives the correct level of pension, not, as the PPA's seem to think, the lowest level of pension! Our forces will probably also continue to perpetuate the erroneous notion that our opposition to their review policies is based on a few disgruntled ex officers!. 

Our response will follow the established lawful route of appeals to PMAB and the Administrative Courts coupled with the possibility of other legitimate appropriate avenues and it is our response that will ultimately determine the correct interpretation of the Regulations.

As other forces start reviewing can expect contact from previously unaffected IOD's who will have access to good legal advice straight away from our legal team on our rights and responsibilities in relation to the Regulations and issues such as the correct response to intimidating demands for medical records and unnecessary personal information which are not required under the Regulations.

It was intended to assimilate PIPIN into IODPA in 2017/18 but there has been an upsurge in interest and the web site will continue to operate independently for as long as it is required.  The popularity of the IODPA secure forum has resulted in a considerable reduction in participation on the PIPIN forum.  It would appear that participants understandably prefer the more secure platform. Therefore if usage remains low, the PIPIN forum will be closed.

PIPIN wishes all IOD's and our supporters a very successful New Year.

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