Officers could be waiting up to six weeks to receive responses to their enquiries due to the volume putting in retirement queries.

A total of 1,800 officers have enquired about new pension figures, after rules introduced on April 1 mean that a member of the 1987 pension scheme may access an ordinary pension after 25 years’ service if they are aged 50.

The amendments saw the removal of the pension commutation cap meaning that officers will be able to have a lump sum “determined by reference to the actuarial tables”, as opposed to having payments restricted to 2.25 x their pension.

Effective from April 1, the changes extended the commutation factor underpin as well as removing the restriction for the commutation to 2.25x the initial pension for those leaving between 25-30 years of service.

It means that officers entitled to an ordinary pension can commute up to the maximum 25 per cent of their pension.

The changes only apply to Police Scotland and not for forces across England and Wales. But the PFEW told Police Oracle that they are continuing to lobby the government on the issue.

Their latest letter to the Home Secretary, in July of last year said: “Discussions around the removal of the commutation cap in the Police Pension Scheme 1987 (PPS) have been ongoing in some form for over a decade. It is inexplicable as to why the impasse on progress persists, despite both staff and employer sides being in agreement as to the need for the removal of the cap.

“This problem concerns those officers who are retiring from PPS with more than 25 but less than 30 years’ pensionable service. The commutation available to this cohort is capped at 2.25 times their initial annual pension, instead of the unrestricted commutation of 25% of the pension value for those retiring with 30 years’ service.”

In Scotland, 1,800 officers are reported to have put in an inquiry about what figure they would be due to receive under the new rules, and 400 have already decided to leave the service.

But officers could be waiting up to six weeks to receive responses to their enquiries due to the volume of officers putting in queries.  

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "The implications of the McCloud Remedy and other pensions issues are being assessed in full by Police Scotland. We keep retirement rates under close review and, as a single national service, are well able to flex resources and manage recruitment to maintain effective policing for the public we serve.”