Question reference: S6W-25549
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 14 February 2024
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Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 4 March 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis (a) it and (b) the Scottish Prison Service has undertaken of any impact of prison officers having to work until the age of 68.
Answer
It is well established that some occupations are restricted by capacity and age due to the physical demands of those roles, making it untenable to expect them to be carried out until the State Pension Age. This was recognised by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013 which set a pension age of 60 for firefighters, police officers and the armed forces.
Prison officers do not have a dedicated pension scheme as they are members of the Civil Service pension scheme, which is a reserved matter for the UK Government. The Scottish Government has raised concerns with the UK government regarding the requirement for prison officers to carry out frontline operational duties including control and restraint until the age of 68. We have always accepted that some jobs are restricted by capacity and age, and need to be viewed and treated as such.
The Scottish Government and SPS both duly recognise that prison officers work in a very challenging environment and are committed to a person centred approach to all employees and their circumstances.