Matthews remedy for retained firefighters: the 1 June 2026 notification deadline explained

Educational, not advice. This article explains the Matthews remedy opt-out purchase window for retained firefighters created by SI 2026/281, alongside the other items in FPS Bulletin 104 (April 2026) — including the updated McCloud GAD calculator. It does not recommend whether to make any specific claim. Pension Plain is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Scope: This piece covers FPS Bulletin 104 published on 30 April 2026 by the Firefighters’ Pensions technical team, focused on the Matthews remedy opt-out purchase window for retained firefighters under the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England) (Amendment) Order 2026 (SI 2026/281). It covers the new statutory duty on local pension authorities to notify eligible members by 1 June 2026 and process opt-out purchase claims by 1 April 2027. It does not cover the wider mechanics of FPS 1992, 2006, and 2015 schemes in detail (see the main firefighters’ pension explainer for that), and it does not offer financial advice on whether to buy back service.

In short

The retained-firefighter back-story (quickly)

Until the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 2006 (FPS 2006) was introduced, retained firefighters (on-call firefighters, paid per incident) were not generally allowed to join an occupational pension scheme. The Matthews and O’Brien employment tribunal rulings established that the exclusion of part-time staff from a pension scheme was unlawful where it discriminated on grounds of part-time status.

That led to the Modified Scheme: a special set of provisions allowing eligible retained firefighters to buy back pension service for the period 1 July 2000 to 5 April 2006. That route opened in 2014 and 2015 and closed in 2016.

The 2026 Order (SI 2026/281, in force 1 April 2026) is a Matthews-remedy follow-up: it extends the Modified Scheme mechanics to cover cases that the original 2014–16 buy-back exercise did not pick up, and adds new missed-pension lump sum grants. It is therefore a separate workstream to the McCloud remedy, which applies to all public service pension schemes for the “remedy period” from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022. Some retained firefighters will be in both workstreams; buying back Matthews service may affect a McCloud calculation, but the 1 June 2026 deadline applies to the Matthews route only.

What FPS Bulletin 104 actually says

FPS Bulletin 104 was published by the LGA Firefighters’ Pensions technical team on 30 April 2026. It contains five main updates:

1. Updated GAD Calculator (version 2.9.1)

The Government Actuary’s Department issues a calculator used by FPS administrators to work out McCloud remedy figures (the comparison between the 2015 scheme and the legacy 1992 or 2006 scheme for the remedy period). Version 2.9.1 includes refinements that affect how some cases are calculated, particularly those involving service crossing scheme boundaries.

2. Retained firefighter opt-out purchase window (the big one)

The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England) (Amendment) Order 2026, SI 2026/281 (a Matthews-remedy follow-up instrument that came into force on 1 April 2026), creates a duty on local pension authorities (the fire and rescue authorities, working with their pensions administrators) to:

• Identify eligible members (retained firefighters who opted out during the relevant period).
• Notify them in writing by 1 June 2026 that they may be entitled to retrospectively purchase the service they opted out of.
• Process the resulting claims by 1 April 2027.

If you were a retained firefighter at any point and opted out of the FPS during a window that the Order covers, expect a letter from your fire and rescue authority’s pensions administrator. If you do not receive one by mid-June 2026 and you think you should, contact the administrator directly to ask whether you were considered for eligibility.

3. Q4 2025/26 McCloud compensation claims update

The bulletin reports on the processing volumes for McCloud compensation claims (under the broader McCloud remedy regulations, distinct from the retained-firefighter buy-back). The overall direction is steady progress, with most cases now processed through the Remediable Service Statement (RSS) route.

4. New data-protection complaints duties for local pension authorities

The 2026 Order also introduces a duty on local pension authorities to handle data-protection complaints relating to pension records under a defined process, with referral routes to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) where appropriate. This is administrative housekeeping rather than a substantive benefit change.

5. Cross-border transfer guidance

Updated guidance on cases where firefighter pension service crosses between England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (each of which has its own version of the firefighters’ pension regulations). Transfers between the schemes are possible but procedurally specific, and the bulletin updates the guidance for administrators.

Who is potentially eligible for the retained-firefighter buy-back

The eligibility logic is, broadly:

• You served as a retained (on-call) firefighter in England in the relevant period, and
• You were eligible to join the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (for example under the FPS 2006 or FPS 2015), and
• You opted out of the scheme, and
• You are not already covered by the earlier Modified Scheme for the same period of service, and
• You are within the categories the 2026 Order covers (the precise scope is set out in the regulations themselves and your local pension authority’s notification letter will spell out whether you qualify).

The 1 June 2026 notification deadline applies to the fire and rescue authority’s duty to write to you, not to your own deadline to respond. Once you have the notification, you will be given a window in which to decide whether to make a claim. The full claim process must be completed by the authority by 1 April 2027.

What the buy-back actually does

Buying back service means treating you, for pension purposes, as though you had been a member of the scheme during the period you opted out of. In practical terms:

• The period of service is added to your pensionable service in the relevant scheme.
• You are required to pay backdated member contributions for that period (typically with interest), normally calculated on the contribution rates that applied at the time.
• Your employer may also be required to pay the equivalent backdated employer contributions; this is a duty on the fire and rescue authority, not on you.
• The result is a higher pension at retirement, reflecting the added service.

Whether the trade is worthwhile in any individual case depends on the cost of the contributions (and any interest), the age at which you would draw the benefits, your tax position, and your wider financial circumstances. Pension Plain explains the mechanics; it does not recommend whether to make the claim. If you receive a notification, the local pension authority should provide a costed illustration and you can take that to a qualified, FCA-authorised financial adviser if you want a personal recommendation.

What this does NOT cover

Worth being explicit about scope, because retained firefighters’ pension history can be tangled:

• The original Matthews/O’Brien Modified Scheme (the 2014–16 buy-back exercise for service 1 July 2000 to 5 April 2006). That route is closed. SI 2026/281 is a later statutory extension of the same Matthews-remedy framework, picking up cases the original exercise did not.
• Wholetime firefighter service. The 2026 Order targets retained-service cases. Wholetime members who opted out at some point follow the standard scheme opt-in routes.
• Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Each has its own firefighters’ pension regulations and may run a parallel exercise. The 1 June 2026 deadline as discussed here applies to England.
• McCloud RSS issuance for separate cases. The McCloud remedy and the retained-firefighter buy-back are two distinct workstreams. Some members will be in both.

What members can do now

1. Make sure your fire and rescue authority’s pensions administrator has your current address. The notification is going by post (or through any electronic member-portal you have). If your address is out of date, the letter goes nowhere.
2. Dig out service records. If you have payslips or contracts from your retained service, locate them. They will help confirm dates and service patterns if there is any dispute.
3. Watch for the notification letter through May 2026. If 1 June passes and you have not received one but you believe you should have, contact the administrator and ask whether you were considered.
4. Do not pay anything to anyone who contacts you offering to “help you claim” until you have the official letter. The proper route is the local pension authority. You do not need a claims management company for this.
5. If you do receive a notification, read the costed illustration carefully. The decision is whether the cost (backdated contributions plus interest) is worth the added pension entitlement; a regulated financial adviser can give a personal recommendation if you want one.

FAQ

Pension Plain’s take

The retained-firefighter opt-out window is the kind of public service pension item that almost never gets the search-engine traffic it deserves: very specific, very deadline-driven, and very valuable to a defined audience. The 1 June 2026 deadline is on the local pension authority, not on the member; what members need to do is make sure their address is current so the notification arrives, then wait for it. If the letter does not come and you believe it should have, that is the moment to ring the administrator. Do not pay a claims management company for what the scheme will do for free.

Information, not advice. This article explains the FPS retained-firefighter Matthews-remedy opt-out purchase route created by SI 2026/281 and the 1 June 2026 notification deadline that flows from it. It is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Pension Plain is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. If you need a personal recommendation about whether to buy back service, speak to a qualified, FCA-authorised financial adviser; you can find one via the FCA register or via MoneyHelper.

Key official sources

• Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Regulations (fpsregs.org), home of FPS Bulletins
• Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England) (Amendment) Order 2026 (SI 2026/281)
• Government Actuary’s Department
• LGA Firefighters’ Pensions team (technical scheme administrator support)
• Pension Plain, Firefighters’ Pension Scheme explained (FPS 1992, 2006, and 2015)
• Pension Plain, McCloud remedy tracker (May 2026)

Fact-checked: 13 May 2026 · Last reviewed: 18 May 2026