The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has confirmed it will not appeal a tribunal decision that found it had discriminated against officers by moving them onto a lesser pension scheme.
Last month, a tribunal ruled that PFEW had discriminated against and victimised officers who made claims against the government after they were moved onto a financially inferior pension scheme due to their age.
More than 13,500 officers born after April 1967 brought a legal claim through law firm Leigh Day in 2016.
In 2019, the government conceded that its attempt to alter the pensions was discriminatory, following an Appeal Court decision that younger firefighters and judges should not be transferred to lesser value schemes.
Following this decision, thousands of officers then claimed that PFEW had discriminated against them and victimised them by continuing to support the government’s plans to move them onto the inferior scheme.
They said that the police staff association continually refused to fund or support their original claims, and took active steps to deter, obstruct or penalise claimants, an allegation that has now been upheld in tribunal.
The PFEW has now said it will not appeal the tribunal judgment, and that it is “unreservedly sorry and would like to offer an unconditional apology for the distress caused”.
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In a statement, it added: “The claimants’ remedy will now be determined at a separate hearing, and in the weeks and months ahead, we will be taking a proactive approach to engage, rebuild bridges, learn lessons and implement change.”
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