Source: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/cy/nia/2015/5/body/enacted
Timestamp: 2018-06-22 19:16:15
Document Index: 741555407

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'ART 2', 'ART 3', 'ART 4', 'ART 5', 'ART 6', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1']

1.—(1) This Part creates a benefit called state pension.
(2) A person who reaches pensionable age before 6 April 2016 is not entitled to benefits under this Part (but may be entitled to similar benefits under Part 2 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (in this Act referred to as “the Contributions and Benefits Act”)).
State pension at the full or reduced rate
Entitlement to state pension at full or reduced rate
2.—(1) A person is entitled to a state pension payable at the full rate if—
(b)the person has 35 or more qualifying years.
(2) A person is entitled to a state pension payable at the reduced rate if—
(b)the person has at least the minimum number of qualifying years but fewer than 35 qualifying years.
(3) The minimum number of qualifying years for a state pension payable at the reduced rate is to be specified in regulations and may not be more than 10.
(4) In this Part “qualifying year” means a tax year, during a person’s working life, in which the person’s earnings factor (or the sum of the person’s earnings factors) is equal to or greater than the qualifying earnings factor for the year.
(5) “Earnings factor” is to be construed in accordance with sections 22 and 23 of the Contributions and Benefits Act.
(6) For transitional cases in which a person may be entitled to a different state pension (instead of a state pension under this section), see sections 4 and 12.
(7) There are provisions elsewhere that affect a person’s entitlement to a state pension under this section or the rate at which it is payable.
Full and reduced rates of state pension
3.—(1) The full rate of the state pension is the weekly rate for the time being specified in regulations.
(2) The reduced rate of the state pension for a person is the following proportion of the full rate—
(3) Once the full rate has been specified, the power to make regulations under subsection (1) may not be re-exercised so as to reduce the rate.
State pension at the transitional rate
Entitlement to state pension at transitional rate
4.—(1) A person is entitled to a state pension payable at the transitional rate if—
(b)the person has at least the minimum number of qualifying years, and
(c)the person has at least one pre-commencement qualifying year.
(2) The minimum number of qualifying years for a state pension payable at the transitional rate is to be specified in regulations and may not be more than 10.
(3) A person entitled to a state pension payable at the transitional rate is not entitled to a state pension under section 2.
“post-commencement qualifying year” means a qualifying year beginning on or after 6 April 2016;
“pre-commencement qualifying year” means—
a qualifying year beginning on or after 6 April 1978 and ending before 6 April 2016, or
a reckonable year that would have been treated under regulation 13(1) of the Social Security (Widow’s Benefit, Retirement Pensions and Other Benefits) (Transitional) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1979 as a qualifying year for the purposes of determining the person’s entitlement to an old state pension that is a Category A retirement pension.
(5) A reckonable year mentioned in paragraph (b) of the definition of “pre-commencement qualifying year” in subsection (4) counts towards the minimum number of qualifying years required by subsection (1)(b) (even though it does not come within the definition of “qualifying year” for the purposes of this Part).
(6) “Earnings factor” is to be construed in accordance with sections 22 and 23 of the Contributions and Benefits Act.
Transitional rate of state pension
5.—(1) The transitional rate of the state pension for a person is a weekly rate equal to—
(a)the sum of the amounts calculated under Schedule 1 for the person’s pre-commencement and post-commencement qualifying years capped at the full rate of the state pension on the day on which the person reaches pensionable age, or
(b)if higher, the amount for the person’s pre-commencement qualifying years alone.
(2) The transitional rate of the state pension for a person is to be increased from time to time in accordance with the applicable paragraph of Schedule 2.
(3) Section 6 requires the transitional rate of the state pension for a person to be recalculated in certain circumstances.
(4) There are special rules about the transitional rate for certain women: see section 11 (reduced rate elections).
Recalculation and backdating of transitional rate in special cases
6.—(1) This section modifies the transitional rate of the state pension for a person if, after the person has reached pensionable age, a determination is made under section 44A(2) of the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993 (in this Act referred to as “the Pension Schemes Act”) (contracting-out: reinstatement in state scheme following payment of contributions equivalent premium).
(2) The person’s transitional rate is to be recalculated (taking the determination into account under paragraph 3(8) of Schedule 1).
(3) The recalculated rate has effect as from the day on which the person reached pensionable age (and the other provisions of this Part apply accordingly).
Survivor’s pension based on inheritance of additional old state pension
7.—(1) A person is entitled to a state pension under this section if—
(b)the person’s spouse died while they were married or the person’s civil partner died while they were civil partners of each other, and
(6) In subsections (4) and (5) a reference to the rate of a person’s state pension is to the rate—
Choice of lump sum or survivor’s pension under section 9 in certain cases
8.—(1) A person is entitled to a choice under this section if—
(b)the person’s spouse died while they were married or the person’s civil partner died while they were civil partners of each other,
(c)the spouse’s or civil partner’s entitlement to an old state pension was deferred at the time of death and throughout the period of 12 months ending with the day before the death,
(e)the person would, on reaching pensionable age or on the death of the spouse or civil partner, have been entitled to an old state pension if in the relevant provisions of the Contributions and Benefits Act—
(i)the words “before 6 April 2016” were omitted, and
(2) The person may choose—
(4) A person who chooses to be paid a lump sum under this section, or who fails to choose within that period, is entitled to a “widowed person’s or surviving civil partner’s lump sum” calculated under paragraph 7B of Schedule 5 to the Contributions and Benefits Act.
(5) In that paragraph as it applies for the purposes of this section—
(a)read the references to “W” as references to the person,
(6) There are provisions elsewhere that affect a person’s entitlement to a lump sum under this section.
(7) Regulations may allow a person, in specified circumstances—
(8) Regulations under subsection (7) may, for the purpose of avoiding the duplication of payment—
(a)“deferred” has the meaning given by section 55(3) of the Contributions and Benefits Act,
(b)“the relevant provisions” of the Contributions and Benefits Act are—
Survivor’s pension based on inheritance of deferred old state pension
9.—(1) A person is entitled to a state pension under this section if—
(3) But if at any time an order under section 132B of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (in this Act referred to as “the Administration Act”) comes into operation, the rate of the person’s state pension under this section is increased (at that time) by the percentage specified in the order.
Inheritance of graduated retirement benefit
10.—(1) Regulations may make provision corresponding or similar to any provision of sections 7 to 9 and Schedules 3 to 5 for the purpose of conferring benefits on a person whose dead spouse or civil partner paid graduated contributions as an insured person.
(3) In this section “graduated contributions” and “insured person” have the meanings given by section 35(8) of the National Insurance Act (Northern Ireland) 1966.
Transition: women who have had a reduced rate election
Reduced rate elections: effect on section 4 pensions
11.—(1) Section 4(1)(b) (minimum number of qualifying years for state pension at the transitional rate) does not apply to a woman if a reduced rate election was in force in respect of her at the beginning of the relevant 35-year period.
(2) Schedule 6 modifies the rules about the transitional rate of the state pension for a woman if a reduced rate election was in force in respect of her at the beginning of the relevant 35-year period.
“reduced rate election” means an election made, or treated as having been made, under regulations under section 19(4) of the Contributions and Benefits Act;
“relevant 35-year period” means the 35-year period ending with the tax year before the one in which the woman reached pensionable age.
Reduced rate elections: pension for women with no section 4 pension
12.—(1) A woman is entitled to a state pension under this section if—
(a)she has reached pensionable age,
(b)a reduced rate election was in force in respect of her at the beginning of the relevant 35-year period,
(c)she does not have any pre-commencement qualifying years, and
(d)she is entitled to a basic amount under Schedule 7.
(2) A state pension under this section is payable at a weekly rate equal to the basic amount.
(3) But if at any time the full rate of the state pension is increased, the rate of the woman’s state pension under this section is increased (at that time) by the same percentage as the increase in the full rate.
(4) In subsection (3) the reference to the rate of the woman’s state pension is to the rate ignoring any increase under section 17.
(5) A woman is not entitled to a state pension under this section and section 2 at the same time: she is only entitled to the one with the higher rate.
(6) There are provisions elsewhere that affect a woman’s entitlement to a state pension under this section or the rate at which it is payable.
Pension sharing: reduction in the sharer’s section 4 pension
14.—(1) The rate of a person’s state pension under section 4 is reduced under this section if the person is subject to a state scheme pension debit.
(2) The amount by which the rate is reduced is the amount of the appropriate weekly reduction set out in Schedule 10.
(3) A person’s state pension may be reduced more than once under this section.
“state scheme pension debit” means—
a new state scheme pension debit, or
an old state scheme pension debit;
“new state scheme pension debit” means a debit under Article 46A(2)(a) of the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999;
“old state scheme pension debit” means a debit under Article 46(1)(a) of that Order.
Pension sharing: amendments
15. Schedule11 contains amendments to do with pension sharing.
Postponing or suspending state pension
Pensioner’s option to suspend state pension
16.—(1) A person who has become entitled to a state pension under this Part may opt to suspend his or her entitlement in accordance with regulations.
(2) A person is not entitled to any state pension under this Part for the period for which the person has opted to suspend his or her entitlement.
(3) For other effects of a person exercising the option, see section 17.
(4) A person may not opt to suspend his or her entitlement to a state pension under this Part on more than one occasion.
(5) Regulations may specify other circumstances in which a person may not opt to suspend his or her entitlement to a state pension under this Part.
(6) Regulations may allow a person who has opted to suspend his or her entitlement to a state pension under this Part to cancel the exercise of that option (in whole or in part) in relation to a past period.
Effect of pensioner postponing or suspending state pension
17.—(1) If a person’s entitlement to a state pension under this Part has been deferred for a period, the weekly rate of the person’s state pension is increased by an amount equal to the sum of the increments to which the person is entitled.
(2) But the weekly rate is not to be increased under subsection (1) if the increase would be less than 1% of the person’s weekly rate ignoring that subsection.
(3) A person is entitled to one increment for each whole week in the period during which the person’s entitlement to a state pension was deferred.
(4) The amount of an increment is equal to a specified percentage of the weekly rate of the state pension to which the person would have been entitled immediately before the end of that period if the person’s entitlement had not been deferred.
(5) In subsection (4) “specified” means specified in regulations.
(6) The amount of an increase under this section is itself to be increased from time to time in accordance with any order made under section 132 of the Administration Act (annual up-rating of benefits).
(7) For the purposes of this section and section 18 a person’s entitlement to a state pension under this Part is deferred for a period if the person has opted under section 16 to suspend his or her entitlement for that period.
(8) For the purposes of this section and section 18 a person’s entitlement to a state pension under this Part is also deferred for a period if the person is not entitled to it for that period by reason only of—
(a)not satisfying the conditions in section 1 of the Administration Act (entitlement dependent on claim etc.), or
(9) A person is not entitled to a state pension under this Part for any period during which his or her entitlement to any other state pension under this Part is deferred.
Section 17 supplementary: calculating weeks, overseas residents, etc.
18.—(1) Regulations may—
(a)provide for circumstances in which a part of a week is to be treated for the purposes of section 17(3) as a whole week, and
(b)provide for circumstances in which a day does not count in determining a number of whole weeks for the purposes of section 17(3) (for example if the person is receiving other benefits).
(2) Regulations may modify section 17(4) in cases where, at any time in the period during which a person’s entitlement to a state pension is deferred, the rate for the person would have changed otherwise than because of an up-rating increase.
(3) Regulations may modify section 17(4) in relation to a person who has been an overseas resident during any part of the period for which the person’s entitlement to a state pension has been deferred.
(4) In subsection (3) “overseas resident” means a person who is not ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland or any other territory specified in the regulations.
(5) Regulations may amend the percentage specified in section 17(2).
Prisoners and overseas residents
19.—(1) Regulations may provide that a person is not to be paid a state pension under this Part for any period during which the person is a prisoner.
(2) “Prisoner” means a person (in Northern Ireland or elsewhere) who is—
(3) In the case of a person remanded in custody for an offence, regulations under subsection (1) may be made so as to apply only if a sentence of a specified description is later imposed on the person for the offence.
20.—(1) Regulations may provide that an overseas resident who is entitled to a state pension under this Part is not entitled to up-rating increases.
(2) In this section “overseas resident” means a person who is not ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland or any other territory specified in the regulations.
(3) Regulations under this section do not affect the rate of an overseas resident’s state pension for any period during which he or she is in Northern Ireland or a territory specified in the regulations (but once the overseas resident ceases to be in Northern Ireland or a specified territory the rate reverts to what it would have been had he or she not been in Northern Ireland or a specified territory).
(4) Regulations under this section do not affect the rate of a person’s state pension once the person stops being an overseas resident.
“Old state pension”
21.—(1) In this Part “old state pension” means a Category A retirement pension or a Category B retirement pension.
(2) A reference in this Part to the rate of an old state pension (however expressed) does not include—
(a)graduated retirement benefit under the National Insurance Act (Northern Ireland) 1966, or
(b)any increase in the rate because of Schedule 5 to the Contributions and Benefits Act (deferral increases).
General definitions etc.
“Category A retirement pension” means a Category A retirement pension under Part 2 of the Contributions and Benefits Act;
“Category B retirement pension” means a Category B retirement pension under Part 2 of the Contributions and Benefits Act;
“full rate” means the rate mentioned in section 3(1);
“old state pension” has the meaning given by section 21 (and references to the rate of an old state pension are to be read in accordance with that section);
“pensionable age” has the meaning given by section 121(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act; and a person is “over” pensionable age if the person has reached that age (and is otherwise “under” that age);
“post-commencement qualifying year” has the meaning given by section 4(4);
“pre-commencement qualifying year” is to be read in accordance with section 4(4) and (5);
“qualifying earnings factor” has the meaning given by section 121(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act;
“qualifying year” has the meaning given by section 2(4);
“reduced rate” means the rate mentioned in section 3(2);
“state scheme pension credit”, and related expressions, have the meanings given by section 13;
“state scheme pension debit”, and related expressions, have the meanings given by section 14;
“tax year” has the meaning given by section 121(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act;
“transitional rate” means the rate mentioned in section 5;
“up-rating increase”, in relation to a state pension under this Part, means—
an increase in the rate of the state pension because of an increase in the amount specified in regulations under section 3(1), or
an increase in the rate of the state pension because of section 9(3), 12(3) or 17(6) or Schedule 2, 4 or 9;
“working life” has the meaning given by section 121(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act.
(2) For the purposes of any other provision of this Part two people are to be treated as if they are not married to each other in relation to times when either of them is married to a third person.
23. In Schedule 12—
Abolition of contracting-out for salary related schemes etc.
24.—(1) Schedule 13 contains amendments to abolish contracting-out for salary related schemes.
(2) An employer may amend an occupational pension scheme in relation to some or all of its members to take account of increases in the employer’s national insurance contributions in respect of some or all of the members to whom the amendments apply because of the repeal of section 37 of the Pension Schemes Act (by Schedule 13).
(3) The power may be used to make amendments that will apply in relation to future members and correspond to the amendments being made in relation to current members.
(4) The power may not be used—
(5) Regulations must define what is meant by a protected person in relation to a scheme for the purposes of subsection (4)(a).
(6) Schedule 14 contains more detail about the power.
(7) In this section and Schedule 14—
“member” has the meaning given by Article 121(1) of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (in this Act referred to as “the 1995 Order”);
(8) Subsections (2) to (7) and Schedule 14 are repealed at the end of the period of 5 years beginning with 6 April 2016.
(9) The Department may by order amend subsection (8) to extend the period for the time being mentioned there.
PART 2OPTION TO BOOST OLD RETIREMENT PENSIONS
Option to boost old retirement pensions
25. Schedule15 (option to boost old retirement pensions) contains amendments to make provision in relation to people who have paid additional contributions to boost their retirement pensions.
PART 3PENSIONABLE AGE
Increase in pensionable age to 67
26.—(1) Paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 to the 1995 Order is amended as follows.
(2) In sub-paragraph (7) for “6th April 1968” substitute “6th April 1960”.
(3) For sub-paragraph (8) and table 3 substitute—
“(8) A person born on any day in a period mentioned in column 1 of table 3 attains pensionable age when the person attains the age shown against that period in column 2.
(c)a person born on 31st January 1961 is to be taken to attain the age of 66 years and 10 months at the commencement of 30th November 2027”.
(4) In sub-paragraph (9) for “5th April 1969” substitute “5th March 1961”.
PART 4STATE PENSION CREDIT
State pension credit: phasing out assessed income periods
27.—(1) In section 6 of the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (duty to specify assessed income period), in subsection (1), after “subsection (3) or (4)” insert “where the relevant decision takes effect before 6 April 2016”.
(2) At the end of the heading to that section insert “for pre-6 April 2016 awards”.
Preserving indefinite status of certain existing assessed income periods
28.—(1) Section 84(6) of the Pensions (No. 2) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (in this Act referred to as “the Pensions (No. 2) Act”) (which provides that section 9(6) of the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 ceases to have effect on 6th April 2014) is repealed and is to be treated as never having had effect.
(2) In section 9(6)(a) of the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (duration of assessed income period for certain transitional cases to be treated as indefinite) as restored by this section, after “brought to an end” insert “, on or after 6 April 2009 but before 6 April 2014,”.
PART 5BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT PAYMENT
29.—(1) A person is entitled to a benefit called bereavement support payment if—
(c)the person is ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland, or a specified territory, when the spouse or civil partner dies, and
(d)the contribution condition is met (see section 30).
(2) The Department must by regulations specify—
(3) The regulations may specify different rates for different periods.
(4) In the case of a person who is pregnant or entitled to child benefit in specified circumstances, the regulations may—
(5) A person is not entitled to bereavement support payment for periods after the person has reached pensionable age.
(6) A person is not entitled to bereavement support payment if the death occurred before this section came fully into operation.
“pensionable age” has the meaning given by the rules in paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 to the 1995 Order;
“specified territory” means a territory specified in regulations made by the Department.
Bereavement support payment: contribution condition and amendments
30.—(1) For the purposes of section 29(1)(d) the contribution condition is that, for at least one tax year during the deceased’s working life—
(2) “Earnings factor” is to be construed in accordance with sections 22 and 23 of the Contributions and Benefits Act.
(3) For the purposes of section 29(1)(d) the contribution condition is to be treated as met if the deceased was an employed earner and died as a result of—
(a)a personal injury of the kind mentioned in section 94(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act, or
(4) In this section the following expressions have the meanings given by section 121(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act—
(5) Schedule 16 contains amendments to do with bereavement support payment.
Bereavement support payment: prisoners
31.—(1) The Department may by regulations provide that a person is not to be paid bereavement support payment for any period during which the person is a prisoner.
PART 6PRIVATE PENSIONS
Automatic transfer of pension benefits etc.
32. Schedule17—
(a)requires the Department to make regulations under which, in certain circumstances, the cash equivalent of a person’s accrued rights to benefits under a pension scheme must be transferred to another scheme of which the person is an active member;
(b)permits the Department to make regulations requiring accounts relating to a person’s accrued rights to benefits under a pension scheme to be merged in certain circumstances.
33.—(1) The Department may by regulations make provision prohibiting a person from offering an incentive to another person with the intention of inducing a member of a salary related occupational pension scheme to—
(2) “Pensions transfer” means a transfer of sums or assets representing any of the member’s pension rights to be used for one or more of the following—
Expiry of power in section 33
34. If no regulations have been made under section33 by the end of the period of 7 years beginning with the day on which it comes into operation, that section is repealed at the end of that period.
Short service benefit for scheme member with money purchase benefits
35.—(1) Section 67 of the Pension Schemes Act (basic principle as to short service benefit) is amended as follows.
“(aa)he has at least 30 days’ qualifying service and, if he were entitled to benefit because of this paragraph, all of it would necessarily be money purchase benefit,”.
“(10) Subsections (7) to (9) apply, with the substitution for references to 2 years of references to 30 days, for determining whether a person has at least 30 days’ qualifying service for the purposes of subsection (1).
(11) Subsection (1)(aa) does not apply in relation to a person’s membership of a scheme if any period of relevant service began before the day on which section35 of the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 came into operation (whether or not it also ended before that date).
“Relevant service” means service that counts towards the 30 days’ qualifying service for the purposes of subsection (1).”.
(4) In section 97AA of the Pension Schemes Act (early leavers: cash transfer sums and contribution refunds), in subsection (4)(b), after “(a)” insert “, (aa)”.
Automatic enrolment: powers to create general exceptions
37.—(1) In section 10 of the Pensions (No. 2) Act (information to be given to workers)—
(i)for “must” substitute “may”;
(b)in subsection (2) for “must state” substitute “may in particular make provision about”.
69A. Power to create exceptions from the employer duties etc.
(1) The Department may by regulations provide for exceptions tothe employer duties; and an exception may in particular—
Alternative quality requirements for UK defined benefits scheme
38.—(1) The Pensions (No. 2) Act is amended as follows.
“23A. Alternative quality requirements for UK defined benefits schemes
(b)the cost of providing the benefits accruing for or in respect of the relevant members over a relevant period would require contributions to be made of a total amount equal to at least a prescribed percentage of the members’ total relevant earnings over that period;
(c)in the case of each of at least 90% of the relevant members, the cost of providing the benefits accruing for or in respect of the member over a relevant period would require contributions to be made of a total amount equal to at least a prescribed percentage of the member’s total relevant earnings over that period.
(3) In section 24 (quality requirement: UK hybrid schemes), in subsection (1)(b), for “23” substitute “23A”.
(a)in paragraph (a), after “defined benefits scheme” insert “other than a scheme to which section 30(11)(a) applies”;
(b)in paragraph (aa) (inserted by section 39), after “a hybrid scheme” insert “other than a scheme to which section 30(11)(b) applies”;
Automatic enrolment: transitional period for hybrid schemes
39.—(1) Section 30 of the Pensions (No. 2) Act (transitional period for defined benefits and hybrid schemes) is amended as follows.
(2) In subsection (2)(b) and (c), for “a hybrid scheme” substitute “a defined benefits member of a hybrid scheme”.
(a)after “becomes” insert “(a)”;
(b)the conditions in section 30(2) of that Act have continued to be satisfied during the period beginning with the employer’s first enrolment date and ending with the day before the commencement date, and
(ii)if later, the employer’s first enrolment date;
Penalty notices under sections 40 and 41 of the Pensions (No. 2) Act etc.
40.—(1) In sections 40(1)(d) and 41(1)(d) of the Pensions (No. 2) Act (fixed and escalating penalty notices), at the end insert “, so far as relevant to the exercise of any of its functions under or by virtue of this Part”.
(2) In Article 67 of the 2005 Order (powers to require information), in paragraph (1A), for “Chapter 2 of Part 1 of the Pensions (No. 2) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 or section 51 of that Act” substitute “or by virtue of Part 1 of the Pensions (No. 2) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008”.
Unpaid scheme contributions
41.—(1) The Pension Schemes Act is amended as follows.
“employer”, employment”, worker” and worker’s contract” and other expressions which are defined in the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 have the same meaning as in that Order (see further subsections (2A) and (2B));”;
(b)in subsection (2), in paragraph (b) of the definition of “holiday pay”, for “the employee’s contract of employment” substitute “the worker’s contract”;
(3) In section 120 (Department for Employment and Learning’s duty to pay unpaid contributions)—
(a)for “an employee”, in each place, substitute “a worker”;
(b)for “the employee”, in each place, substitute “the worker”;
(c)for “the employee’s” substitute “the worker’s”;
(d)for “employees”, in each place, substitute “workers”.
(4) In section 157, for “contract of employment” substitute “worker’s contract”.
(a)in paragraph (a), for “contract of employment the employee” substitute “worker’s contract the worker”;
(b)in paragraph (b), for “employee” substitute “worker”.
Power to restrict charges or impose requirements in relation to schemes
42. Schedule18 permits the Department to make regulations—
Disclosure of information about transaction costs to members etc.
43. In section 109 of the Pension Schemes Act (disclosure of information about schemes to members etc.), after subsection (4) insert—
Power to require pension levies to be paid in respect of past periods
44.—(1) The Department may by regulations provide for the 2005 Order, and regulations made under it, to have effect, so far as relating to the requirement to pay pension levy, as if the amendments made by the 2010 regulations had always had effect.
Prohibition and suspension orders: directors of corporate trustees
“3A. Prohibition orders: directors of corporate trustees etc.
(1) A company is prohibited from being a trustee of a trust scheme at any time when an individual who is a director of the company is prohibited from being a trustee of the scheme by an order under Article 3.
(3) Article 4 (Pensions Regulator’s power to suspend trustee of occupational pension scheme) is amended as follows.
(4) In paragraph (1)(f), after “sub-paragraph” insert “(aa),”.
(5) In paragraph (2)(a), after “or (aa)” insert “or, in a case where the Authority would have power to suspend a director under sub-paragraph (aa), by virtue of sub-paragraph (f)”.
Pensions Regulator’s objectives
46. In Article 4(1) of the 2005 Order, after sub-paragraph (c) insert—
Maximum period between scheme returns to be 5 years for micro schemes
47.—(1) Article 58 of the 2005 Order (duty of the Regulator to issue scheme return notices) is amended as follows.
Pension Protection Fund: increased compensation cap for long service
48. See Schedule 20 for amendments increasing the Pension Protection Fund compensation cap for persons with long pensionable service.
Pension Protection Fund: compensation cap to apply separately to certain benefits
49.—(1) Paragraph 26 of Schedule 6 to the 2005 Order (Pension Protection Fund: compensation cap) is amended as follows.
(2) In sub-paragraph (1)(b), for “sub-paragraph (2)(a) or (b)” substitute “sub-paragraph (2)(a), (b) or (c)”.
(3) In sub-paragraph (2)(a)(ii), for “paragraph (b)(i) does not apply” substitute “neither of paragraphs (b) and (c) applies”.
“(zi)benefit A is attributable to the person’s pensionable service,”;
(b)in paragraph (i), after “one or more other benefits” insert “that are attributable to his pensionable service”.
(6) In sub-paragraph (5), after “sub-paragraph (2)(b)” insert “or (c)”.
Power to make consequential amendments etc.
50.—(1) The Department or the Department of Finance and Personnel may by order make consequential, incidental or supplementary provision in connection with any provision made by this Act.
51.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, any orders or regulations made by the Department or the Department of Finance and Personnel under this Act are subject to negative resolution.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to an order under section 53(1) or (5).
(3) Orders or regulations (whether alone or with other provisions) to which this subsection applies—
(b)take effect on such date as may be specified in the order or regulations, but (without prejudice to the validity of anything done thereunder or to the making of a new order or regulations) cease to have effect upon the expiration of a period of six months from that date unless at some time before the expiration of that period the order or regulations are approved by a resolution of the Assembly.
(4) Subsection (3) applies to—
(a)regulations under section 3, 17, 18(3) or (5), 19, 20, 29, 31 or 33,
(b)the first regulations under section 10,
(c)an order under section 50 that amends or repeals any relevant statutory provision,
(d)regulations under Schedule 17,
(e)regulations under paragraph 2 of Schedule 18 or regulations under paragraph 7 of that Schedule that amend any relevant statutory provision, or
(f)the first regulations under paragraph 1 or 3 of that Schedule.
(5) In this section “relevant statutory provision” means a statutory provision contained in—
(a)an Act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland;
(b)an Order in Council under Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Act 1974 or the Schedule to the Northern Ireland Act 2000;
(c)an Act of the Assembly; or
(d)an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
(6) Regulations or orders under this Act may include incidental, supplementary, consequential, transitional, transitory or saving provision.
52.—(1) In this Act—
“the 2005 Order” means the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 2005;
“the Pension Schemes Act” means the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993;
“the Pensions (No. 2) Act” means the Pensions (No. 2) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008;
(a)section 24(1) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 (service of documents by post), omit the word “registering”;
53.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, this Act comes into operation on such day or days as the Department may by order appoint.
(2) The following come into operation on the day after this Act receives Royal Assent—
(b)section 28;
(c)sections 33 and 34;
(d)section 40;
(e)section 46;
(f)section 49; and
(g)this Part.
(3) Part 1 comes into operation on 6 April 2016, so far as not brought into operation earlier by an order under subsection (1).
(4) The Department may by order—
(a)amend subsection (3) so as to replace the reference to 6 April 2016 with a later date, and
(b)make corresponding amendments in Part 1 or any statutory provision amended by it.
54. This Act may be cited as the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015.