If you leave the police force with less than two years’ Qualifying Service and without entitlement to any other benefit under the 2015 Scheme, you may be entitled to have your pension contributions returned to you under the 2015 Scheme, less deduction of tax. Like any leaver you may, alternatively, be able to ask for your 2015 Scheme benefits to be transferred to another pension scheme.
You should note that a refund of contributions will only be of the contributions that you have paid, but a transfer value will reflect the total value of pension benefits that have accrued due to contributions made by you and your Police Pension Authority. If you opt-out of the 2015 Scheme after 3 months but before 2 years’ Qualifying Service you will receive a refund of your pension contributions. The entitlement to the refund will take effect from the point you have opted out of the scheme.
The exception to this is if you are permanently medically unfit as a result of an injury received in the execution of duty and your Police Pension Authority compulsorily retires you on the grounds of ill health; in which case you will be entitled to a pension under the 2015 Scheme.