Prison Officer Pay
Ill-health and injury benefit report
Civil Service alpha and CSIBS · prisonofficerpay.co.uk
Estimate, as at 3 October 2026. Not a decision.
Your inputs
| Age / normal pension age | 45 / 67 (22 years to go) |
| Pensionable earnings / alpha service | £38,000 / 12 years |
| Accrued alpha pension (estimated) | £10,001 a year |
Ill-health retirement (alpha)
| Lower tier: all accrued pension, paid now, no reduction | £10,001 a year |
| Upper tier estimate, regulation 76 (top-up £18,336) | £28,337 a year |
| Chosen (lower tier), 0% exchanged for a lump sum | £10,001 a year plus £0 tax-free |
The upper-tier figure is an estimate of the regulation 76 formula. The Scheme Medical Adviser decides eligibility and tier; the administrator's calculation controls.
Injury benefit (CSIBS)
| Impairment band / service band | Material (51 to 75%) / 5 to under 15 years |
| Guaranteed minimum income | 70% of £38,000 = £26,600 |
| Other pension and benefit income counted | £10,001 |
| Annual allowance (top-up), after 100% attribution | £16,599 |
| One-off lump sum (3/8 of earnings) | £14,250 |
Written interpretation
Your evidence checklist
- Occupational health report(s) on your condition and your ability to do your own job
- Letters from your GP and any consultant or specialist, with dates and diagnoses
- A timeline of treatment, medication, referrals and any adjustments tried at work
- Your role description and the physical and mental requirements of your job
- Your sickness absence record and any return-to-work or adjustment records
- For an injury: the incident report, dates, witnesses, and how the injury arose from your duties
- Copies of every form you submit and every letter you receive, with the date you received it
- The decision date and the deadline to appeal (3 months for ill-health retirement; 12 months for a CSIBS appeal on apportionment or impairment level)
- Recent payslips and your pensionable earnings, and your latest annual benefit statement
- Contact details for your POA representative and your HR/pensions contact
Process and deadlines
- Occupational health and medical evidence. Your employer arranges occupational health assessments. Gather your own GP and specialist evidence in parallel.
- Scheme Medical Adviser decides. The SMA decides whether you meet the test: a permanent breakdown in health that stops you doing your own or a comparable job (lower tier), or any gainful employment (upper tier). 'Permanent' means the SMA expects it to continue until normal pension age.
- Decision and your pension option. If awarded, the pension is paid immediately with no early-payment reduction. You can usually exchange pension for a lump sum at £12 per £1 within HMRC limits.
- Appeal within 3 months. In writing within 3 months of the employer notifying you of the SMA's report. Three stages; the last is an independent Medical Appeal Board. New medical evidence is normally needed to progress.
- Reviews. Upper tier is reviewed at least every 5 years until normal pension age and can drop to the lower tier on 3 months' notice. Provisional awards can be reviewed within up to 5 years.
Questions for Capita and your HR team
- Ask for your annual benefit statement and the exact pension you would receive at each tier, in writing.
- Ask for the upper-tier calculation (regulation 76) applied to your case.
- Ask whether an injury or illness could qualify under the Civil Service Injury Benefit Scheme, how to apply, and what evidence of attribution to duty is needed.
- Ask what other income is counted against the guaranteed minimum income.
- Speak to your POA representative or a solicitor early and keep copies of everything.
Sources
- The Public Service (Civil Servants and Others) Pensions Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/1964), as amended (generated 2025-12-09) (opened 2026-10-03)
- CSPS Medical reviews and appeals guide (CSPS2564_B6GDM36_V0.7) (opened 2026-10-03)
- NI Dept of Finance alpha scheme guide Section 05 Claiming your pension (July 2026) (opened 2026-10-03)
- Civil Service Injury Benefits Scheme rules (made 22 Jul 2002; last amendment listed 2019) (opened 2026-10-03)
- GAD: CSPS (GB) 2024 Actuarial Valuation Overview, 23 Jun 2026 (opened 2026-10-03)
This report is an estimate to help you plan and ask the right questions. It is not medical, legal, financial or pension advice and it does not predict any decision. Benefits are decided by the Scheme Medical Adviser and the scheme manager, and CSIBS is discretionary.