Constabulary & recruits

Membership is compulsory for recruits and constabulary employees (but you can reduce your contribution rate, including to 0% of salary - see below for details). You will be required to join the scheme as a recruit when you enter Police College. You will become a standard constabulary entrant automatically on graduating.

Making investments

Two accounts are opened in your name when you join the scheme:

  • Your member's account, which is for your contributions.
  • Your employer's account, which is for contributions Police makes on your behalf.

Your contributions are arranged through payroll as regular deductions from your fortnightly pay and will normally continue until you leave Police. Your contributions are credited to your member's account.

This table shows the standard contribution rates.

Membership category

Standard contribution rate (as a % of salary*)
Employee
Employer (before tax**)

Recruit/standard constabulary entrant

0%, 3.0%, 5.0% or 7.5%

15.2%

*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.

Contact payroll at payroll@police.govt.nz if you have a question about contributions.

Changing standard employee contributions

If you are a recruit or a standard constabulary entrant, you contribute 7.5% of your salary to your member's account by default. However, you make elect to change this standard employee contribution rate at any time. You can choose from one of the following options: 0%, 3.0%, 5.0% or 7.5%. Visit the MyPolice Employee Self Service portal and look for the 'Superannuation' tab under 'My Services'. Whichever option you choose, Police will contribute 15.2% of salary on your behalf (before tax).

Voluntary employee contributions

You can make voluntary employee contributions in addition to the standard employee contributions shown above as regular deductions from your pay. Voluntary employee contributions must be between 1% and 10% of salary in increments of 0.5%. Police will not match any additional voluntary employee contributions you make.

Through a combination of standard and voluntary employee contributions, you can effectively choose any contribution rate between 0% and 17.5% of salary. Whichever rate is chosen, Police will contribute 15.2% of salary (before tax).

Voluntary employee contributions are credited to your member's account and are subject to the same rules for in-service withdrawals as your standard employee contributions (see partial withdrawals and in-service benefit).

Making or changing voluntary contributions

You can start making or change voluntary contributions online via the MyPolice Employee Self Service portal. Look for the 'Superannuation' tab under 'My Services'.

PSS and KiwiSaver

If you wish, you can be a member of a KiwiSaver scheme as well as the PSS and get some of the benefits of KiwiSaver. For example, the government will contribute around $10 a week if you contribute $20 a week or more. See KiwiSaver options for PSS members.

Financial advice from Mercer

PSS has engaged Mercer to provide a financial advice service to members. You can receive advice about anything to do with your savings in the scheme, including what to do with your KiwiSaver now you're in PSS. There is no charge to you for this service. To arrange a time to talk, sign in to your account online and complete a call-back request form.

A note for former Traffic Officers

If you are a former Traffic Officer who is also a contributing member of the Government Superannuation Fund (GSF) or the National Provident Fund (NPF), you can join the scheme as a:

  • special entrant – the minimum employee contribution rate is 1% of salary (GSF members) or 2.5% of salary (NPF members). Employer contributions will be paid, but the rate varies depending on your individual circumstances. Contact payroll@police.govt.nz for details of the employer contribution, or a
  • savings contributor, making employee contributions only (i.e. Police will not match your contributions).

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