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<p>In common with other public service pension schemes, the Civil Service pension
scheme includes provisions for some or all of an individual’s occupational pension
benefits to be forfeited if they are convicted of certain serious crimes relating
to their Civil Service employment. Crimes considered serious enough to potentially
result in forfeiture of pension are:</p><p> </p><ol><li>Treason;</li><li>Offences
under the Official Secrets Acts for which the individual has received a sentence,
or sentences, amounting to 10 years</li><li>An offence certified by a Minister of
the Crown as being:<ol><li>gravely injurious to the interests of the State; or</li><li>liable
to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service.</li></ol></li></ol><p>
</p><p>In considering whether and, if so, to what extent an individual’s Civil Service
pension should be forfeited, consideration is given to the following:</p><p> </p><ul><li>the
seniority of the individual</li><li>the amount of negative publicity the person’s
crime has generated for the Government;</li><li>the extent to which the general public
have been negatively impacted by the crime; and</li><li>and to what extent the individual
has involved junior colleagues in their crime</li></ul><p> </p><p>When a civil servant
has been convicted of a crime serious enough to warrant consideration of forfeiture,
it is the responsibility of that individual’s employing department to raise this with
the Cabinet Office. It would normally be a Minister of the employing department who
would provide the certification for the seriousness of the offence if necessary.</p>
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