The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

Welsh Statutory Instruments

2025 No. 930 (W. 159)

Public Service Pensions, Wales

Fire And Rescue Services, Wales

The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

Made

28 July 2025

Laid before Senedd Cymru

30 July 2025

Coming into force

1 September 2025

The Welsh Ministers make these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 1(1) and (2)(f), 2(1), 3(1), (2)(a) and (3)(a) of, and paragraph 6(b) of Schedule 2 and paragraphs 9(a) and (b) of Schedule 3 to the Public Service Pensions Act 2013 (“the 2013 Act”)(1).

In accordance with section 21(1) of the 2013 Act, the Welsh Ministers have consulted the representatives of such persons as appear to the Welsh Ministers likely to be affected by regulations 3, 4 and 9 of these Regulations.

In accordance with section 22(2)(a) of the 2013 Act, the Welsh Ministers have consulted such persons (or representatives of such persons) as appear to the Welsh Ministers likely to be affected by regulations 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of these Regulations, with a view to reaching agreement with them.

In accordance with section 22(2)(b) of the 2013 Act, the Welsh Ministers have laid a report before Senedd Cymru in respect of regulations 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of these Regulations.

In accordance with section 3(5) of the 2013 Act, these Regulations are made with the consent of the Treasury.

Title and coming into force

1.—(1) The title of these Regulations is the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.

(2) These Regulations come into force on 1 September 2025.

Amendments to the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Wales) Regulations 2015

2.  The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Wales) Regulations 2015(2) are amended in accordance with regulations 3 to 11.

3.  In regulation 3 (interpretation)—

(a) in the definition of “child-related leave”—

(i) omit “or” at the end of paragraph (e);

(ii) after paragraph (f) insert— “, or

(g) parental bereavement leave;”;

(b) at the appropriate place insert—

““parental bereavement leave” (“absenoldeb profedigaeth rhiant”) has the meaning given in regulation 3 of the Parental Bereavement Leave Regulations 2020(3);”;

(c) in the definition of “statutory pay”—

(i) omit “or” at the end of paragraph (c);

(ii) after paragraph (d) insert— “, or

(e) statutory parental bereavement pay within the meaning of section 171ZZ6 (entitlement) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992(4);”.

4.  In regulation 27(2) (meaning of “ assumed pensionable pay”)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (c), after “additional maternity leave,” insert “parental bereavement leave,”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (e), for “or additional paternity leave” substitute “, additional paternity leave or parental bereavement leave”.

5.  In regulation 119 (member contributions)—

(a) in paragraph (2)—

(i) for “appropriate column for the year” substitute “second column for the period stated”;

(ii) in the table heading “Contribution rate from 1 April 2018”—

(aa) omit the word “from”;

(bb) after “1 April 2018” insert “- 31 August 2025”.

(b) in paragraph (8), after “under this regulation,” insert “regulation 119A (member contributions from 1 September 2025)”.

6.  After regulation 119 insert—

Member contributions from 1 September 2025

119A.— (1) Subject to regulations 120 to 122 (contributions during absences), an active member of this scheme must pay contributions on their annual pensionable pay to the scheme in respect of a scheme employment at the contribution rate applicable to the member’s tier in the pay period in which 1 April falls for that employment (or, in the case of an active member whose membership commences after 1 April in any year, to the tier the member was in at the commencement of that membership).

(2) The contribution rate applicable to a scheme employment is as specified in the following table, with the contribution rate specified in the third column from the period specified in the third column to be considered applicable to the tier specified in the first column into which the active member’s role specified in the second column falls:

Tier	Role	Contribution rate from 1 September 2025
1	Regular Firefighter Retained Firefighter Volunteer Firefighter	13.0%
2	Crew Manager Watch Manager	13.2%
3	Station Manager Group Manager	13.7%
4	Area Manager	14.2%
5	Assistant Chief Fire Officer Deputy Chief Fire Officer Chief Fire Officer	14.5%

(3) Where there is a change in scheme employment, or a material change which affects the member’s role in the course of a financial year and the revised role falls into a different contribution rate tier, the scheme manager must determine that this rate must be applied and the scheme manager must inform the member of the contribution rate applicable and the date from which it is to be applied.

(4) Where the scheme manager has determined under paragraph (3) that a different contribution rate applies, the member must pay contributions at that rate on the pensionable pay which that member is receiving at that time.

(5) In this regulation—

“regular firefighter” (“diffoddwr tân rheolaidd”) has the meaning given in regulation 3 (interpretation), but does not include a firefighter employed as a crew manager, watch manager, station manager, group manager, area manager, assistant chief fire officer, deputy chief fire officer or chief fire officer;

“retained firefighter” (“diffoddwr tân wrthgefn”) has the meaning given in regulation 3 (interpretation);

“volunteer firefighter” (“diffoddwr tân gwirfoddol”) has the meaning given in regulation 3 (interpretation);

“crew manager” (“rheolwr criw”) means a person (P) employed (whether whole-time or part-time) by an authority—

(a)

in a crew manager role set out in “Fire and Rescue Services Rolemaps” issued by the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services in September 2005,

(b)

other than as a retained or volunteer firefighter,

(c)

on terms under which P is, or may be, required to engage in fire-fighting or, without a break in continuity of such employment, may be required to perform other duties appropriate to P’s role (whether instead of, or in addition to, engaging in fire-fighting), and

(d)

otherwise than in a temporary capacity;

“watch manager” (“rheolwr gwylfa”) means a person (P) employed (whether whole-time or part-time) by an authority—

(a)

in a watch manager role set out in “Fire and Rescue Services Rolemaps” issued by the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services in September 2005,

(b)

other than as a retained or volunteer firefighter,

(c)

on terms under which P is, or may be, required to engage in fire-fighting or, without a break in continuity of such employment, may be required to perform other duties appropriate to P’s role (whether instead of, or in addition to, engaging in fire-fighting), and

(d)

otherwise than in a temporary capacity;

“station manager” (“rheolwr gorsaf”) means a person (P) employed (whether whole-time or part-time) by an authority—

(a)

in a station manager role set out in “Fire and Rescue Services Rolemaps” issued by the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services in September 2005,

(b)

other than as a retained or volunteer firefighter,

(c)

on terms under which P is, or may be, required to engage in fire-fighting or, without a break in continuity of such employment, may be required to perform other duties appropriate to P’s role (whether instead of, or in addition to, engaging in fire-fighting), and

(d)

otherwise than in a temporary capacity;

“group manager” (“rheolwr grŵp”) means a person (P) employed (whether whole-time or part-time) by an authority—

(a)

in a group manager role set out in “Fire and Rescue Services Rolemaps” issued by the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services in September 2005,

(b)

other than as a retained or volunteer firefighter,

(c)

on terms under which P is, or may be, required to engage in fire-fighting or, without a break in continuity of such employment, may be required to perform other duties appropriate to P’s role (whether instead of, or in addition to, engaging in fire-fighting), and

(d)

otherwise than in a temporary capacity;

“area manager” (“rheolwr ardal”) means a person (P) employed (whether whole-time or part-time) by an authority—

(a)

in an area manager role set out in “Fire and Rescue Services Rolemaps” issued by the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services in September 2005,

(b)

other than as a retained or volunteer firefighter,

(c)

on terms under which P is, or may be, required to engage in fire-fighting or, without a break in continuity of such employment, may be required to perform other duties appropriate to P’s role (whether instead of, or in addition to, engaging in fire-fighting), and

(d)

otherwise than in a temporary capacity;

“assistant chief fire officer” (“prif swyddog tân cynorthwyol”) means a person (P) employed (whether whole-time or part-time) by an authority as an assistant chief fire officer—

(a)

other than as a retained or volunteer firefighter,

(b)

on terms under which P is, or may be, required to engage in fire-fighting or, without a break in continuity of such employment, may be required to perform other duties appropriate to P’s role (whether instead of, or in addition to, engaging in fire-fighting), and

(c)

otherwise than in a temporary capacity;

“deputy chief fire officer” (“dirprwy brif swyddog tân”) means a person (P) employed (whether whole-time or part-time) by an authority as a deputy chief fire officer—

(a)

other than as a retained or volunteer firefighter,

(b)

on terms under which P is, or may be, required to engage in fire-fighting or, without a break in continuity of such employment, may be required to perform other duties appropriate to P’s role (whether instead of, or in addition to, engaging in fire-fighting), and

(c)

otherwise than in a temporary capacity;

“chief fire officer” (“prif swyddog tân”) means a person (P) employed (whether whole-time or part-time) by an authority as a chief fire officer—

(a)

other than as a retained or volunteer firefighter,

(b)

on terms under which P is, or may be, required to engage in fire-fighting or, without a break in continuity of such employment, may be required to perform other duties appropriate to P’s role (whether instead of, or in addition to, engaging in fire-fighting), and

(c)

otherwise than in a temporary capacity.”

7.  In regulation 120 (contributions during absence from work due to illness, injury, trade dispute or authorised absence)—

(a) in paragraph (1), after “regulation 119 (member contributions)” insert “or regulation 119A (member contributions from 1 September 2025)”;

(b) in paragraph (2), after “regulation 119 (member contributions)” insert “or regulation 119A (member contributions from 1 September 2025)”;

(c) in paragraph (3), after “regulation 119 (member contributions)” insert “or regulation 119A (member contributions from 1 September 2025)”;

(d) in paragraph (4), after “regulation 119 (member contributions)” insert “or regulation 119A (member contributions from 1 September 2025)”.

8.  In regulation 121(1) (contributions during absence from work on reserve forces service leave), at the end insert “or regulation 119A (member contributions from 1 September 2025).”

9.  In regulation 122 (contributions during child-related leave)—

(a) in paragraph (1), after “regulation 119 (member contributions)” insert “or regulation 119A (member contributions from 1 September 2025)”;

(b) in paragraph (3)—

(i) after “additional adoption leave” insert “, parental bereavement leave”;

(ii) after “regulation 119 (member contributions)” insert “or regulation 119A (member contributions from 1 September 2025)”.

10.  In regulation 123(1) (deduction and payment of contributions), after “regulation 119 (member contributions)” insert “or regulation 119A (member contributions from 1 September 2025)”.

11.  In regulation 132(e) (payments into the firefighters’ pension fund), after “regulation 119 (member contributions),” insert “regulation 119A (member contributions from 1 September 2025),”.

We consent to the making of these Regulations.

Anna Turley

Nicholas Dakin

Two of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury

28 July 2025

Jayne Bryant

Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, one of the Welsh Ministers

28 July 2025

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Wales) Regulations 2015 (“the 2015 Regulations”) which set out the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Wales) 2015 (“the 2015 Pension Scheme”).

These Regulations come into force on 1 September 2025 and do not have retrospective effect.

Regulations 3, 4 and 9 amend the 2015 Pension Scheme to make provision in respect of scheme members’ entitlements during periods of parental bereavement leave.

Regulations 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 amend the 2015 Pension Scheme to provide for new member contribution rates and a new mechanism by which members’ contribution rates are determined from 1 September 2025.

Regulation 6 inserts regulation 119A into the 2015 Regulations which introduces a new mechanism whereby members’ contribution rates within the 2015 Pension Scheme are determined based on a tier structure rather than pensionable pay range. This new mechanism defines scheme member roles for the purpose of members’ contribution rates and provides that these roles will fall within 1 of 5 tiers, against which members’ contribution rates will be determined from 1 September 2025. The updated mechanism makes clear that regardless of role, retained and volunteer firefighters will always remain within tier 1 when determining applicable member contribution rates. For the purpose of new regulation 119A only, the definition of regular firefighter does not include the roles of crew manager, watch manager, station manager, group manager, area manager, assistant chief fire officer, deputy chief fire officer or chief fire officer.

Since regulations 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 involve a change to a protected element of the scheme constituted by the 2015 Regulations (as defined in section 22(5) of the Public Service Pensions Act 2013), the Welsh Ministers have consulted such persons (or representatives of such persons) as appear to the Welsh Ministers likely to be affected by these Regulations, with a view to reaching agreement. The Welsh Ministers have also laid a report before Senedd Cymru.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations. A copy can be obtained from Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ and is published on www.gov.wales.

(1)

2013 c. 25. Section 3 was amended by section 94(2) to (6) of the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 (c. 7).

(2)

S.I. 2015/622 (W. 50); relevant amending instrument is S.I. 2018/576 (W. 103).

(3)

S.I. 2020/249.

(4)

1992 c. 4.