The PBRI had not been budgeted for by the previous LNP government after 1 October 2024 and was going to be gutted. When the PANSW asked for a letter of commitment from the Coalition prior to the last election, we received nothing back. The Minns Government inherited the scheme under pressure, with many aspects of the true cost only discovered by the PANSW after being consulted by the new government. The exponential growth of the premium from 1 October 2024 would have given the Government no choice but to reduce the scheme further.
A letter was supplied to PANSW by the Premier prior to being elected in 2023 in relation to maintaining PBRI in Labor’s first term of Government which would not prevent improvements or a new scheme being agreed to. This was particularly referenced noting the commitment to also resolve the Concessional Cap issue plaguing the membership in that very same letter.
PBRI and Concessional Cap are intrinsically linked. To resolve the Concessional Cap issue, the PBRI system as it was set up needed to be reformed to remove the premiums for injury insurance from police officers’ superannuation.
Members and delegates have directed PANSW at forums and its Biennial Conferences to resolve the Concessional Cap issue. If it wasn’t fixed, it would have eventually affected every member. Currently over 9000 members were impacted, with some tax bills being received in excess of $30,000.
If PBRI had continued after 1 October 2024, there would be no reimbursement by the Federal or State governments in relation to the Concessional Cap bills members received. If it continued, members would have to pay the full amount themselves. This was not an acceptable option.
The Police Association of New South Wales always advocates for our members and have been attempting to resolve the Concessional Cap tax issue for more than 10 years. When the Labor Government agreed to look at fixing the Cap problem, our priorities were to ensure that we had an adequate safety net for injured workers (getting a seat at the table and fighting to maintain as many of the benefits as possible) along with no further tax implications, whether it be excess Concessional Cap tax bills or a Fringe Benefit Tax that would be applied to the premium to maintain insurance for a lump sum payment for Total Permanent Disability (TPD) which would be recorded against every police officer at tax time. The end result was ultimately the decision of the Government and the Commissioner of Police.
The PANSW advocated to maintain the necessary protections for members and gained some enhancements in the new EPSS scheme from what the Commissioner of Police initially proposed including for those who cannot work again. Although the scheme has changed from its previous form, our core focus is to look after injured workers and maintain their health and ensure our police officers return to work where possible. If they are unable to return as a police officer, then they should be supported to get well, and transition into meaningful work with another employer whilst maintaining income support of 75%.
The PANSW will continue to be a strong and fierce voice for our members as we build towards our Award finalisation. This is a large and complex body of work but one that will bring generational change to the Award which shows members the respect they deserve for the hard work they perform day in and day out to keep the people of NSW safe.