This information is for members who are taking on a new role within Police that involves a change in membership category. This could mean you are a:

• constabulary employee becoming a Police employee
• Police employee becoming a constabulary employee
• retained member rejoining Police as a constabulary employee or Police employee.

Membership categories

• Constabulary employee – an employee of Police holding the office of constable (or a recruit in training at RNZPC to become a constabulary employee).
• Police employee – an employee of Police not holding the office of constable. This includes authorised officers.
• Retained member – a member who has previously left the service of Police and retained their savings in PSS.

If you are becoming a constabulary employee

Member contributions are set at 7.5% of salary. Employer contributions (before tax) are 15.2% of salary. Complete a voluntary contributions form at any time if you want to make additional voluntary contributions.

If you are becoming a Police employee

You have two options. You can participate in the scheme as:

• an optional entrant – employer contributions will be paid on your behalf, but these will come from within your existing total remuneration, or
• a savings contributor, making member contributions only.

The minimum contribution rates are detailed here. Complete a vary contributions form at any time if you want to make additional voluntary contributions.

Things you should know

Accessing your savings

Any savings you currently have invested in the scheme will become subject to the rules for your new category of membership. If you don’t want this to happen, you need to withdraw your money before you submit a change membership category form.

If you are a retained member, you can withdraw some or all of your savings by completing a retained member withdrawal form.

If you are a constabulary employee or Police employee, you can either:

• make a partial withdrawal or apply for an in-service benefit (conditions apply – see here), or
• withdraw from the scheme and claim your total benefit. Do this by completing a leaving form. You can then rejoin the scheme under your new membership category by completing a membership form at the back of the product disclosure statement.

Partial withdrawals and in-service benefit

If you are currently a constabulary employee or a Police employee, any previous partial withdrawals or in-service benefit payment will be taken into account in determining your future entitlements to these benefits.

Making the change

Fill in a change membership category form and return it to Mercer.