Police employees

Membership is voluntary if you are a Police employee (this includes authorised officers). In this case, you have two options. You can join as:

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

If you join as an optional entrant, you may later elect to change your membership and become a savings contributor with effect from the following 1 April.

Minimum contributions

Membership category

Minimum contribution rate (as a % of salary*)
Member
Employer (before tax**)

Optional entrant

6%

12.5% (paid from your existing total remuneration)

Savings contributor***

4%

Nil

*Under the current Police Employees’ and Constabulary Collective Employment Agreements, salary includes the competency service increment (CSI) paid as a lump sum if you are at the top of your pay band as well as certain allowances specified in your employment agreement. It excludes bonuses, commissions, fees or other like payment and allowances not specifically regarded as superable.

**Employer superannuation contribution tax is deducted from employer contributions before they are credited to your employer's account. See fees and tax for details.

***The minimum contribution rate for savings contributors depends on when you joined the scheme – 4% of salary if you joined on or after 1 April 2008 or 2% of salary if you joined before that date.

Contact your Payroll Officer if you have a question about contributions.

Voluntary contributions

You can make additional voluntary contributions of between 1% and 10% of salary as regular deductions from your pay by completing the vary contributions form and returning it to Payroll.

PSS or KiwiSaver?

You may be wondering whether you would be better off joining the PSS as an optional entrant or joining KiwiSaver. Here’s a summary and comparison of some benefits of both schemes.

Police Superannuation Scheme

KiwiSaver

You can withdraw your savings when you leave Police or defer payment and leave your money in the scheme.

Your savings are generally locked in until the date you qualify for New Zealand Superannuation (currently age 65).

PSS provides the following benefits while in service.

KiwiSaver provides the following benefits while in service.

How to join

Download a product disclosure statement (PDS). This document includes information about this investment that we are required to provide under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013. Complete the application at the back of the PDS and return it to Payroll at the address on the form.