Source: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/3432/schedule/1/made
Timestamp: 2018-10-20 22:44:16
Document Index: 401516800

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The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England) Order 2006
2006 No. 3432
SCHEDULE 1THE NEW FIREFIGHTERS’ PENSION SCHEME (ENGLAND)
PART 1 CITATION AND INTERPRETATION
3.Disablement
PART 2 SCHEME MEMBERSHIP, CESSATION AND RETIREMENT
1.Scheme membership
2.Eligibility conditions
3.Normal retirement age and normal benefit age
4.Last day of membership
5.Election not to make pension contributions
6.Rejoining the Scheme
PART 3 PERSONAL AWARDS
1.Ordinary pension
2.Award on ill-health retirement
3.Deferred pension
4.Cancellation of deferred pension
5.Pension on member-initiated early retirement
6.Pension on authority-initiated early retirement
7.Entitlement to two pensions
8.Refund of aggregate pension contributions
9.Commutation: general
10.Commutation: small pensions
11.Allocation of pension
12.Pension debit members
PART 4 SURVIVORS’ PENSIONS
CHAPTER 1 SURVIVING SPOUSES, CIVIL PARTNERS AND NOMINATED PARTNERS
1.Pensions for surviving spouses, civil partners and nominated partners
2.Amount of survivor’s pension: general
3.Amount of survivor’s pension: special cases
4.Bereavement pension: survivors
5.Commutation of pensions for surviving spouses, civil partners and nominated partners
CHAPTER 2 CHILDREN’S PENSIONS
6.Child’s pension
7.Child’s pension: limitations and duration
8.Amount of child’s pension
9.Bereavement pension: children
10.Pension for child where no survivor’s pension paid
11.Child’s pension in respect of pension debit member
12.Commutation of child’s pension
PART 5 AWARDS ON DEATH
1.Death grant
2.Post-retirement death grant
PART 6 PENSION SHARING ON DIVORCE
1.Pension credit member’s entitlement to pension
2.Commutation of whole of pension credit benefits
3.Commutation of part of pension credit benefits
4.Application of general rules
5.Post-retirement death grant: pension credit members
PART 7 RESERVISTS
1.Interpretation of Part
2.Continuity of employment
3.Awards on death or permanent disablement
4.Reservists who do not resume employment with their former authority
PART 8 DETERMINATION OF QUESTIONS AND APPEALS
1.Interpretation of Part 8
2.Determinations and decisions by fire and rescue authority
3.Review of medical opinion
4.Appeals against decisions based on medical advice
5.Appeals on other issues
1.Review of ill-health pension
2.Consequences of review
3.Withdrawal of pension during service as firefighter
4.Withdrawal of early payment of deferred pension
5.Withdrawal of pension on conviction of certain offences
6.Forfeiture of award
PART 10 QUALIFYING SERVICE AND PENSIONABLE SERVICE
1.Qualifying service
2.Reckoning of pensionable service
3.Non-reckonable service
4.Reckoning of unpaid period of absence
5.Reckoning of maternity, paternity and adoption leave, etc
6.Calculation of pensionable service
PART 11 PENSIONABLE PAY, PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS AND PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL SERVICE
CHAPTER 1 PENSIONABLE PAY AND PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS
1.Pensionable pay
2.Final pensionable pay
3.Pension contributions
4.Optional pension contributions during maternity and adoption leave
CHAPTER 2 PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL SERVICE
5.Purchase of additional service
6.Election to purchase additional service
7.Duration of periodical contributions and premature cessation
8.Discontinuance and resumption of periodical contributions
9.Periodical contributions in respect of periods of unpaid service or absence
10.Effect of purchasing additional service by lump sum payment
PART 12 TRANSFERS INTO AND OUT OF THE SCHEME
CHAPTER 1 INTERPRETATION OF PART 12 AND ENTITLEMENT TO TRANSFER VALUE PAYMENT
1.Interpretation of Part 12
2.Entitlement to transfer value payment
CHAPTER 2 TRANSFERS OUT OF THE SCHEME
3.Applications for statements of entitlement
4.Applications for transfer value payments
5.Ways in which transfer value payments may be applied
6.Calculating amounts of transfer value payments
7.Effect of transfers-out
CHAPTER 3 TRANSFERS INTO THE SCHEME
8.Applications for acceptance of transfer value payment from another scheme
9.Procedure for applications under rule 8
10.Acceptance of transfer value payments
11.Calculation of transferred-in pensionable service
CHAPTER 4 TRANSFERS BETWEEN ENGLISH AUTHORITIES
12.Transfer of pension history between English authorities
CHAPTER 5 MIS-SOLD PENSIONS AND RESTITUTION PAYMENTS
13.Interpretation of Chapter 5
14.Mis-sold pensions
15.Calculation of amount of restitution payment
PART 13 FIREFIGHTERS’ PENSION FUND
1.Firefighters’ Pension Fund: payments, receipts and transfers
2.Payments and transfers into Firefighters’ Pension Fund
3.Transfers from Firefighters’ Pension Fund
4.Excess amounts: information
5.Excess amounts: estimated deficits
6.Excess amounts – estimated surpluses
7.Excess amounts – actual deficits
8.Excess amounts – actual surpluses
9.Duty to provide information
10.Duty to have regard to guidance
PART 14 PAYMENT OF AWARDS
2.Deduction of tax and lifetime allowance changes
3.Payment of awards
4.Pensions under more than one contract of employment
5.Payments for minors and persons incapable of managing their affairs
6.Payment of awards; further supplementary provision
PART 15 MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
1.Guaranteed minimum pensions, etc.
2.Survivors’ guaranteed minimum pensions
3.Information for authorities
4.Annual benefit statements
5.Death of retained or volunteer firefighter before Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England) Order 2006 in force
6.Death on or before 31st March 2007 of retained or volunteer firefighter employed before 6th April 2006
PART 1CITATION AND INTERPRETATION
1. This Scheme (which, by virtue of article 1(1) of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England) Order 2006, has effect from 6th April 2006) may be cited as the New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England).
“the 1992 Scheme” means the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 1992(1);
“adoption leave” means leave under sections 75A and 75B of the Employment Rights Act 1996(4); and “ordinary adoption leave” and “additional adoption leave” shall be construed accordingly;
“amount”, in relation to a pension, means the annual amount of the pension;
“authority”, except in the definition of “independent qualified medical practitioner” and in the expression “fire authority”, means a fire and rescue authority”;
“authority-initiated early retirement” means retirement before normal retirement age under rule 6 of Part 3;
“award”, unless a contrary indication appears, means a pension or lump sum under this Scheme, or the refund of pension contributions;
“cash equivalent” has the meaning given by section 94(1)(a) of the 1993 Act;
“child”, in relation to a scheme member, means—
a child who is financially dependent on him, and is—
a natural child, step-child or adopted child of his; or
otherwise related to him; or
the child of his spouse, civil partner or nominated partner; or
any child of his—
who is born after his death, and
with whom the child’s mother was pregnant at the date of the member’s death;
“Compensation Scheme” means the Firefighters’ Compensation (England) Scheme 2006 set out in Schedule 1 to the Firefighters’ Compensation (England) Order 2006(5);
“contracted–out”, in relation to an employment or scheme, has the meaning given by section 8(1) of the 1993 Act(6);
“contributions equivalent premium” has the meaning given by section 55(2) of the 1993Act; and any reference to a case in which a contributions equivalent premium has been paid includes a reference to a case in which such a premium is payable;
“contributions election” means an election under rule 5(1) of Part 2 not to make pension contributions;
“deferred member” has the meaning given by rule 1(3) of Part 2;
“disabled” and “disablement” have the meanings given by rule 3 of this Part;
“eligibility condition” means a condition set out in rule 2(1) of Part 2;
“final pensionable pay” shall be construed in accordance with rule 2 of Chapter 1 of Part 11;
“firefighter member” has the meaning given by rule 1(1) of Part 2;
“guaranteed minimum” is the amount determined for the purposes of sections 13 to 17 of the 1993 Act, and “guaranteed minimum pension” has the same meaning as in that Act(7); and any reference to the guaranteed minimum in relation to a pension under a pension scheme at a particular time is a reference to the amount certified by the Secretary of State as that minimum at that time;
“higher tier ill–health pension” means a pension of the description referred to in rule 2(4) of Part 3;
“ill-health retirement” means retirement under rule 2 of Part 3;
“independent qualified medical practitioner” means a medical practitioner holding a diploma in occupational medicine or an equivalent or higher qualification issued by a competent authority in an EEA State, or being an Associate, a Member or a Fellow of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine(8) or an equivalent institution of an EEA State; and for the purposes of this definition “a competent authority” has the meaning given by the General and Specialist Medical Practice (Education, Training and Qualifications) Order 2003(9);
“injury” means any injury or disease, whether of body or mind;
“lower tier ill-health pension” means a pension of the description referred to in rule 2(3) of Part 3;
“maternity leave” means leave under sections 71 and 73 of the Employment Rights Act 1996(10); and “ordinary maternity leave” and “additional maternity leave” shall be construed accordingly;
“member-initiated early retirement” means retirement before normal retirement age under rule 5 of Part 3;
“nominated partner” has the meaning given by rule 1(2) of Part 2;
“normal benefit age” has the meaning given by rule 3(2) of Part 2;
“normal retirement age” has the meaning given by rule 3(1) of Part 2;
“paternity leave” means leave under regulation 4 or 8 of the Paternity and Adoption Leave Regulations 2002(11);
“pension”, unless a contrary intention appears, means a pension under this Scheme;
“pensionable pay” shall be construed in accordance with rule 1 of Part 11;
“pensionable retained or volunteer service”, in relation to a retained or volunteer firefighter and any period, means the same proportion of whole-time service as that which his actual pensionable pay for that period bears to his reference pay for that period;
“pensionable service” shall be construed in accordance with rules 2 to 5 of Part 10;
“pension credit” means a credit under section 29(1)(b) of the 1999 Act, or corresponding Northern Ireland legislation;
“pension credit benefit” has the meaning given by section 101B of the 1993 Act(12);
“pension credit member” has the meaning given by section 124(1) of the Pensions Act 1995(13);
“pension credit rights” has the meaning given by section 101B of the 1999 Act;
“pension debit member” means a person whose benefits or future benefits under this Scheme have been reduced under section 31 of the 1999 Act;
“pensioner”, except in the definition of “pensioner member”, means a person who is in receipt of a pension;
“pensioner member” has the meaning given by rule 1(4) of Part 2;
“pension sharing order” means an order or provision mentioned in section 28(1) of the 1999 Act;
“personal pension scheme” has the meaning given by section 1 of the 1993 Act;
“qualifying service” has the meaning given by rule 1 of Part 10;
“reference pay”, in relation to the pay of a retained or volunteer firefighter for any period, means the whole-time equivalent pensionable pay for that period of a regular firefighter employed in a similar role and with equivalent qualifying service;
“regular employment” means employment for at least 30 hours a week on average over a period of not less than 12 consecutive months beginning with the date on which the issue of the person’s capacity for employment arises;
“regular firefighter” means a person employed (whether whole-time or part-time) by an authority—
as a firefighter, but not as a retained or volunteer firefighter,
on terms under which he is, or may be, required to engage in fire-fighting or, without a break in continuity of such employment, may be required to perform other duties appropriate to his role as a firefighter (whether instead of, or in addition to, engaging in fire-fighting); and
otherwise than in a temporary capacity;
“retained firefighter” and “volunteer firefighter” mean a person employed by an authority—
who is obliged to attend at such times as the officer in charge considers necessary, and in accordance with the orders that he receives,
and “retained or volunteer firefighter” shall be construed accordingly;
“role”, in relation to a firefighter, except in rule 1(1) of Part 2, means the role in which he is for the time being employed, being a role set out in “Fire and Rescue Services Rolemaps” issued by the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services in August 2005(14);
“state pensionable age” means pensionable age as determined in accordance with the rules in paragraph 1 of Schedule 4 to the Pensions Act 1995(15);
“survivor’s pension” means a pension under rule 1 of Part 4; and
“transfer value payment” means a payment to another pension scheme or arrangement in respect of rights to benefits that have accrued to or in respect of him under this Scheme.
(3) In determining whether a person’s disablement is permanent, the authority shall have regard—
(a)a person has left the Scheme with deferred entitlement to benefits before becoming disabled, and
the date shall be taken to be that on which the claim that he is disabled is first made known to the authority.
PART 2SCHEME MEMBERSHIP, CESSATION AND RETIREMENT
1.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a person of any of the following descriptions is entitled to be a firefighter member of this Scheme—
(a)a person who, on or after 6th April 2006, takes up employment with an authority as a firefighter, and whose role on taking up that employment includes—
(ii)leading and supporting others in the resolution of operational incidents;
(i)having taken up employment as a firefighter before 6th April 2006,
(ii)having continued in such employment until the date of his election, and
(iii)having been a member of the 1992 Scheme,
elects to become a member of this Scheme; and
(c)a person to whom article 3(3) of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England) Order 2006 refers (persons becoming members of the 1992 Scheme on taking up employment with an authority on or after 6th April 2006 and before that Order comes into force).
(2) A person may not be a firefighter member of this Scheme if he makes a contributions election (but he may again become a firefighter member by virtue of rule 6(4)).
(3) A person is a deferred member of this Scheme if he is entitled to a deferred pension under rule 3 of Part 3.
(4) A person is a pensioner member of this Scheme if he is in receipt of a pension or other benefits under the Scheme in respect of his pensionable service or by reason of service credited to the Scheme under Part 12.
(5) A person is a dependent member of this Scheme if he is—
(a)the spouse or civil partner of a deceased firefighter member;
(b)the nominated partner of a deceased firefighter member;
(c)a pension credit member in relation to a firefighter member;
(d)the child of a person who is a member of the Scheme by virtue of sub-paragraph (a) or (b) of paragraph (1), whose dependency on that person satisfies the conditions specified in paragraph 15(2) and (3) of Schedule 28 to the Finance Act 2004; or
(e)is in receipt of a portion of a firefighter’s pension allocated under rule 11 of Part 3.
(6) For the purposes of paragraph (5), a firefighter member may nominate (a “nominated partner”) a person who—
(a)has been living with the firefighter member, otherwise than as his spouse or civil partner, in a long-term relationship; and
(b)at the date on which the question of the person’s status in relation to the firefighter member falls to be considered—
(i)is not the spouse or civil partner of any other person,
(ii)is registered with the scheme administrator as the firefighter member’s nominated partner, and
(iii)is financially dependent on the firefighter member or is, with the firefighter member, in a state of mutual financial dependency,
but this is subject to paragraph (8).
(a)“long-term relationship” means a relationship that has continued, to the exclusion of any other relationship, for the period of two years ending with the date on which the question of the person’s status in relation to the firefighter member falls to be considered, or such shorter period as the authority may in any particular case think fit; and
(b)“scheme administrator” has the meaning given by section 270 of the Finance Act 2004(16).
(8) A firefighter member may not make a nomination under paragraph (6) if (under the law of England and Wales) he is prohibited from marrying or, as the case may be, becoming the civil partner of the person he wishes to nominate.
(9) A nomination ceases to have effect if the firefighter member or the person nominated marries or enters in to a civil partnership (whether with each other or with another person).
(10) Where a person who is—
(a)employed by more than one authority, or
(b)employed by a particular authority under more than one contract of employment,
is entitled to be a member of this Scheme, he shall be a member of it in respect of each employment; but he shall not be a member by virtue of any employment in respect of which he makes a contributions election that is not cancelled.
2.—(1) A firefighter member is eligible for a pension under this Scheme if—
(a)he has at least three months’ qualifying service; or
(b)he transfers into the Scheme with personal pension rights which qualify him for benefits under the Scheme; or
(c)he reaches normal retirement age.
(2) In paragraph (1)(b) “personal pension rights” has the meaning given by section 71 of the 1993 Act(17).
Normal retirement age and normal benefit age
3.—(1) The normal retirement age of firefighter members is 60.
(2) The normal benefit age of firefighter members is 65.
Last day of membership
4.—(1) Where a firefighter member leaves the Scheme, his last day of membership shall be taken to be—
(a)where he leaves on retirement at normal retirement age, his last day of service; and
(b)in any other case, subject to paragraph (2), the last day on which he pays contributions.
(2) Where a firefighter member is on unpaid leave or absent without permission on the day on which he leaves the Scheme, his last day of membership shall be taken to be such date as may be agreed with the authority.
Election not to make pension contributions
5.—(1) A firefighter member may at any time, by giving written notice to his employing authority, elect to make no further pension contributions (referred to in this Scheme as a “contributions election”).
(a)a contributions election takes effect on the day on which begins the first pay period falling after the date on which the notice under paragraph (1) is received; and
(b)his membership of the Scheme ceases on the day on which the contributions election takes effect.
(3) A person who makes a contributions election within three months of joining the Scheme shall be treated as if he had never been a member of it.
(4) A person whose membership of the Scheme ceases as mentioned in paragraph (2)(b) remains entitled to any deferred benefits accrued while he was a member.
(a)is entitled to reckon 40 or more years of pensionable service for the purposes of the Scheme; or
(3) The authority may resolve that a person’s election may not be cancelled unless he has undergone a medical examination, at his own expense, and satisfied them as to his good health.
(4) Where an election under rule 5(1) is cancelled—
(a)the person shall resume the making of pension contributions; and
(b)shall again be a firefighter member of the Scheme,
1.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), this rule applies to a person who satisfies an eligibility condition and retires, having reached normal retirement age, or state pensionable age.
(2) This rule does not apply to a firefighter member whose notice of retirement states that he is retiring for the purpose of taking up employment with another authority.
(3) A person to whom this rule applies becomes entitled on retiring to an ordinary pension calculated, subject to paragraph (4), by multiplying his pensionable service by his final pensionable pay and dividing the resultant amount by 60.
(4) Where a person to whom this rule applies becomes entitled on retiring to a pension in respect of service as a retained or volunteer firefighter, his ordinary pension shall be calculated by multiplying his final pensionable pay by his pensionable retained or volunteer service and dividing the resultant amount by 60.
(5) Where a firefighter member is entitled to more than one ordinary pension, those pensions shall not be aggregated unless rule 7(6) applies.
2.—(1) This rule applies to a firefighter member who leaves his employment by reason of permanent disablement(18) (referred to in this Scheme as “ill–health retirement”).
(2) Every firefighter member to whom this rule applies and who satisfies an eligibility condition is entitled, on retiring, to a lower tier ill–health pension calculated in accordance with paragraph 1 of Annex 1 to this Scheme.
(a)who is entitled to a lower tier ill–health pension,
(b)who has at least five years of qualifying service, and
(c)in respect of whom an independent qualified medical practitioner has expressed the opinion, obtained in accordance with rule 2(2) of Part 8, that he is permanently disabled from undertaking regular employment,
is also entitled, on retiring, to a higher tier ill–health pension calculated in accordance with paragraph 2 or 3 of Annex 1, as his circumstances require.
3.—(1) This rule applies to a firefighter member who—
(i)resigns or is dismissed from the authority’s employment; or
(2) A person to whom this rule applies is entitled to a deferred pension which, subject to paragraph (4) and rule 5, becomes payable from normal benefit age.
(4) Subject to rule 4 of Part 9 (withdrawal of early payment of deferred pension), where—
(a)a person to whom this rule applies gives to the authority by whom he was last employed written notice requesting early payment of his deferred pension, and
(b)the authority are satisfied, having obtained the opinion of an independent qualified medical practitioner in accordance with rule 2(2) of Part 8, that the person is permanently disabled from undertaking regular employment,
the authority shall pay the deferred pension from the date of the person’s disablement or, if that date cannot be ascertained, the date of his request for early payment.
(5) Where a deferred pension is paid early in accordance with paragraph (4), it shall be subject to review under rule 1(2) of Part 9 (review of ill-health pension).
(6) A person who cancels his deferred pension under rule 4 ceases to be entitled to it.
(a)a deferred pension awarded under rule 3 is not being paid; and
(b)the person entitled to it is again employed by an authority in a role which entitles him to rejoin this Scheme, and
he may, at any time before leaving the authority’s employment, by written notice given to the authority, instruct the authority to cancel his deferred pension.
(2) Where an authority cancel a deferred pension, they shall add to the pensionable service used for the calculation of the pension to which the person becomes entitled on leaving the service, the pensionable service used for the calculation of the deferred pension.
(3) Where the authority from which a person is entitled to receive a deferred pension (“the first authority”) is not the authority by which he is employed (“the employing authority”), he must by written notice given to the first authority instruct them—
(a)to cancel the deferred pension, and
(b)to make arrangements with the employing authority for the transfer of his pensionable service in accordance with rule 12 of Chapter 4 of Part 12.
5.—(1) This rule applies to a firefighter member who—
(2) A person to whom this rule applies may, on or after his 55th birthday, by written notice to the authority request early payment of his deferred pension.
(3) The authority may refuse a request under paragraph (2) if the rate of the pension (after the actuarial reduction mentioned in paragraph (4)(b) or, as the case may be, paragraph (5)(b)), is likely to be less than the guaranteed minimum pension that would be payable from state pensionable age.
(a)multiplying his pensionable service by his final pensionable pay and dividing the resultant amount by 60, and
(a)multiplying his pensionable retained or volunteer service by his final pensionable pay as in rule 2(6) of Part 11 and dividing the resultant amount by 60, and
Pension on authority-initiated early retirement
6.—(1) An authority may, having regard to—
determine that a firefighter member who is at least 55 but under normal retirement age should be retired from the service.
(2) The pension of a person in respect of whom a determination is made under paragraph (1) shall be calculated in accordance with rule 1.
7.—(1) Subject to paragraph (7), a firefighter member who—
(b)on taking up a different role within the authority or becoming entitled to a different rate of pay in his existing role, suffers a reduction in the amount of his pensionable pay such that the amount to be taken into account in the calculation of the pension to which he will be entitled at normal retirement age is less than it would otherwise have been,
(5) Subject to paragraph (6), the pensions become payable on the date on which a pension would have become payable to the member in whichever of the circumstances referred to in rules 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 applies in his case.
(6) A member who is entitled to two pensions under this rule may, by written notice to his employing authority, before leaving that employment, instruct the authority to make a single award which shall be calculated in accordance with paragraph (7).
(8) If the member makes a contributions election, he shall be entitled to a single pension, calculated as mentioned in paragraph (3); and that pension shall be treated for the purposes of rule 3(4) to (6) and rule 4 as if it were a deferred pension to which he was entitled under rule 3.
8.—(1) A firefighter member who—
(a)leaves an authority’s employment without satisfying an eligibility condition; or
(b)remains in the service but makes a contributions election before he has accrued three months’ qualifying service,
(i)the amount of any tax required to be deducted, and
(ii)such part of any contributions equivalent premium paid in respect of the member as is permitted by or under section 61 of the 1993 Act.
(2) In paragraph (1), “aggregate pension contributions” means all of the payments made by the member to his employing authority by way of pension contributions.
9.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), a person entitled or prospectively entitled to any pension under this Part may commute a portion of it (“the commuted portion”) for a lump sum.
(a)in a case to which rule 5(4) or (5) applies, one quarter of the amount of the pension calculated in accordance with that paragraph;
(a)not earlier than four months before the date on which he intends to retire, but
give the authority written notice of commutation specifying the commuted portion.
(7) The authority shall—
(a)from the effective date, reduce the person’s pension by the commuted portion, and
(8) In relation to a deferred pension, a pension on member-initiated early retirement, a pension on authority-initiated early retirement, or either or both of the two pensions referred to in rule 7, paragraphs (6) and (7) of this rule have effect as if references to the day of retirement and the effective date were references to the date on which the pension comes into payment.
(a)the pension of a pension debit member shall be taken to be the amount of the pension after reduction in accordance with rule 12; and
(b)no account shall be taken of any increase under rule 2 or 3 of Part 7 of the Compensation Scheme in an award to a serviceman.
10.—(1) Where the amount of any pension payable under this Part to a member who has attained state pensionable age, together with any pension to which he is entitled under rule 1 of Part 6 and any increase under the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971(19), does not exceed the commutation limit specified for the purposes of Part 1 of Schedule 29 to the Finance Act 2004 (lump sum rule)(20), the fire and rescue authority may commute the pension under this Part for a lump sum.
(3) Where a member is entitled to more than one pension under this Part, the pensions shall be treated as one for the purposes of this rule.
11.—(1) A firefighter member may, in accordance with paragraphs (6) and (7), but subject to—
(a)section 214 of the Finance Act 2004 and paragraphs (4) and (5), and
(b)where he is over 74, paragraphs 16A to 16C of Schedule 28 to the Finance Act 2004(21),
(a)the firefighter member’s spouse, civil partner or nominated partner, or
(b)with the consent of the authority, any other person who is substantially dependent on the firefighter member.
(3) The authority may withhold consent under paragraph (2)(b) if they are not satisfied that the person is substantially dependent on the firefighter member.
(4) For the purposes of paragraph (1), an authority shall disregard any increase under rule 2 or 3 of Part 7 of the Compensation Scheme (awards to, or on death of, servicemen) in—
(i)reservists, or
(ii)reservists who do not resume service with their former authority; and
(5) Where more than one portion of a particular pension is allocated under this rule, the total of the allocated portions of that pension must not exceed the portion of that pension retained by the firefighter member.
(a)satisfy the authority that he is in good health and has a normal life expectancy; and
(b)give the authority written notice of allocation specifying—
(i)the portion,
(ii)the name and address of the intended beneficiary, and
(8) Where the authority are satisfied that—
(a)the firefighter member has complied with paragraphs (6) and (7), and
they shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after receiving the member’s notice of allocation, notify him in writing that they have accepted his proposal.
(a)a notice of allocation has taken effect,
(b)the pension to which it relates has become payable, and
the authority shall, from the date of the pensioner’s death, pay the beneficiary a pension which is the actuarial equivalent of the allocated portion.
(12) Where more than one portion has been allocated under this rule, a separate calculation shall be made under paragraph (13) in respect of each allocation.
(13) The actuarial equivalent of an allocated portion shall be calculated in accordance with tables prepared by the Scheme Actuary and in force when the notice of allocation takes effect; and the calculation shall be made by reference to the ages of the pensioner and the beneficiary at the date on which the notice of allocation was given.
(a)a notice of allocation has taken effect, and
the authority shall pay to the pensioner (distinguishing it from any other pension payable to him) the portion of pension that he had allocated (“the failed allocation pension”).
(15) Where paragraph (14) applies, the pensioner is not entitled to recover from the authority the amount of any deduction made in respect of the failed allocation pension.
12. Where a pension debit member is entitled to an award under this Part—
(a)the award shall be calculated by reference to the member’s rights under this Scheme as reduced by virtue of section 31 of the 1999 Act and in accordance with such tables and other guidance as are provided for the purpose by the Scheme Actuary, and
(b)rules 9 to 11 have effect accordingly.
PART 4SURVIVORS’ PENSIONS
CHAPTER 1SURVIVING SPOUSES, CIVIL PARTNERS AND NOMINATED PARTNERS
Pensions for surviving spouses, civil partners and nominated partners
1.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this rule, a pension is payable on the death of—
(a)a firefighter member who satisfies an eligibility condition and dies while employed by an authority; or
(b)a former firefighter member who—
(i)has been awarded a deferred pension under rule 3 of Part 3 which has not come into payment,
(ii)is in receipt of a deferred pension under that rule; or
(iii)is in receipt of a pension under any of rules 1, 2, 5 and 6 of Part 3,
to the deceased’s spouse, civil partner or nominated partner for the remainder of his life (a “survivor’s pension”).
(2) A survivor’s pension is not payable if the deceased’s spouse, civil partner or nominated partner (as the case may be) is convicted of the murder of the deceased; but this is subject to paragraph (4).
(3) Subject to paragraph (5), where the deceased’s spouse, civil partner or nominated partner (as the case may be) is convicted of the manslaughter of the deceased, the authority may, as they think fit, withhold the survivor’s pension—
(4) Where a conviction of the description mentioned in paragraph (2) is quashed on appeal—
(a)a survivor’s pension shall be payable from the day after that on which the deceased died, and
(b)the authority shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after the conviction is quashed, pay the arrears of pension accrued.
(a)a conviction of the description mentioned in paragraph (3) is quashed on appeal, and
(b)the authority have withheld any part of the survivor’s pension,
the authority’s decision under paragraph (3) shall be treated as revoked and they shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after the conviction is quashed, pay the arrears of pension accrued from the day after that on which the deceased died.
(6) Nothing in paragraph (4) or (5) shall affect the application of paragraph (2) or (3) if the person whose conviction is quashed is subsequently convicted of the murder or manslaughter of the deceased.
Amount of survivor’s pension: general
2.—(1) Subject to rule 3, the amount of a survivor’s pension—
(a)in respect of a firefighter member who satisfies an eligibility condition and dies while employed by an authority, is half of the higher tier ill–health pension to which he would have been entitled under rule 2(4) of Part 3 had he retired with the benefit of an ill–health award;
(b)in any other case, subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), is half of the pension to which the deceased was entitled.
(2) Where a portion of the deceased’s pension had been commuted under rule 9 of Part 3, the amount of the survivor’s pension is half of the deceased’s pension after commutation.
(3) Where the deceased had taken member-initiated early retirement, the amount of the survivor’s pension is—
(a)half of the amount of the pension which the deceased would have received if there had been no actuarial reduction; or
(b)where a portion of the deceased’s pension had been commuted, the amount found by dividing by 2 the product of A and B, where—
3.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), where the person entitled to a survivor’s pension under rule 1 is more than twelve years younger than the deceased on the day on which he dies, a reduction of 2.5 per cent. for each year by which the survivor’s age exceeds, by more than twelve years, that of the deceased, shall be applied to the rule 2 amount.
(2) Where the application of paragraph (1) would result in the payment of a survivor’s pension of less than 50 per cent. of the rule 2 amount, the survivor’s pension shall be 50 per cent. of the rule 2 amount.
(a)a pension debit member satisfies an eligibility condition and dies while employed by an authority,
(b)a survivor’s pension is payable under rule 1 on his death, and
(c)a pension sharing order or, in the case of a surviving civil partner, an order to similar effect, had effect on the day on which the pension debit member died,
the amount of the survivor’s pension shall be ascertained with regard to the terms of that order.
(4) In paragraphs (1) and (2), “the rule 2 amount” means the amount that would have been ascertained in accordance with rule 2 if that rule were not subject to paragraphs (1) to (3) of this rule.
(5) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a part of a year shall be treated as a whole year.
Bereavement pension: survivors
4.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a person entitled to a survivor’s pension under rule 1 is also entitled, in respect of each of the 13 weeks following the death, to a bereavement pension of an amount equal to the difference between the weekly rate at which the survivor’s pension is paid and—
(a)a contributions election has effect at the date of the deceased’s death, or
(b)the deceased was entitled to a deferred pension that had not come into payment.
Commutation of pensions for surviving spouses, civil partners and nominated partners
5.—(1) A pension payable under this Chapter may, if the person entitled to it so requests, be commuted for a lump sum if, after commutation, the lump sum would be a trivial commutation lump sum death benefit within the meaning of paragraph 20 of Schedule 29 to the Finance Act 2004.
(2) The amount of the lump sum shall be calculated in accordance with tables prepared by the Scheme Actuary and in force when the commutation takes effect
(3) On the day on which a pension is commuted under this rule, all other entitlements under this Scheme of the person entitled to the pension are extinguished to the extent that they derive from the deceased member.
6. Subject to rule 7, a child is eligible for a child’s pension if he is the child of—
(a)a firefighter member who satisfies one of the eligibility conditions and dies while employed by an authority;
7.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), a child is not eligible if—
(3) A child aged 18 or more is eligible if, when the firefighter member dies, he is dependent on him by reason of permanent disablement.
(4) A child is not eligible if he is convicted of the murder of the firefighter member, but this is subject to paragraph (6).
(5) Subject to paragraph (7), where the child is convicted of the manslaughter of the deceased, the authority may, as they think fit, withhold the child’s pension—
(b)the authority have withheld any part of the child’s pension,
the authority’s decision under paragraph (5) shall be treated as revoked and they shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after the conviction is quashed, pay the arrears of pension accrued from the day after that on which the deceased died.
(a)unless paragraph (2) or (3) applies, on his18th birthday or on the occurrence of the event referred to in paragraph (1)(b) or (c), whichever first occurs;
(b)where paragraph (2) applies, on his 23rd birthday or the day on which his full–time education or course ceases, whichever first occurs;
8.—(1) The amount payable by way of a child’s pension under this Chapter is—
(a)where the deceased died while employed as a firefighter member and there is one eligible child, one quarter of the ill–health pension to which the member would have been entitled under rule 2 of Part 3 had he retired with the benefit of a higher tier ill–health award on the day after that on which he died;
(b)where the deceased died while employed by an authority as a firefighter member and there is more than one eligible child, one half of the ill–health pension to which the member would have been entitled under rule 2 of Part 3 had he retired with the benefit of a higher tier ill–health award on the day after that on which he died, divided by the number of eligible children;
(2) Where a portion of the deceased’s pension had been commuted under rule 9 of Part 3, the amount is—
(c)where a portion of the deceased’s pension had been commuted, and there is one eligible child, the amount found by dividing by 4 the product of A and B;
the authority shall, subject to paragraph (3), pay to the eligible child the amount referred to in paragraph (2) in respect of each of the 13 weeks following the deceased’s death or, if shorter, each complete week of the period beginning on the day after the deceased’s death and ending on the day on which the child’s pension ceases to be payable.
(a)a child’s share shall cease to be paid to him as soon as his child’s pension ceases to be payable, and
(4) Where a person in receipt of a survivor’s bereavement pension dies before the end of the period for which that pension is payable (“the 13 week period”), the authority shall, subject to paragraph (6), pay to the eligible child (if any) a bereavement pension, in respect of each complete week of whichever is the shorter of—
(a)the period beginning on the day after the survivor’s death and ending at the end of the 13 week period, and
(5) The amount of a bereavement pension under paragraph (4) is equal to that which the authority would have paid under paragraph (1) of rule 4 of this Part had a survivor’s bereavement pension been payable for the part of the 13 week period that falls after the survivor’s death.
(a)no person is entitled to a pension under rule 1 as a survivor of the deceased, and
(b)a child of the deceased is eligible for a child’s pension under rule 6,
the authority shall pay to the child, for so long as he is an eligible child, the amount that would have been paid by way of survivor’s pension under rule 2 of this Part if, in paragraph (1) of that rule, the words “Subject to rule 3” had been omitted.
(a)a child’s share shall cease to be paid as soon as his child’s pension ceases to be payable, and
11. Where a pension debit member dies leaving a child, the reduction in his rights under this Scheme by virtue of section 31 of the 1999 Act shall be disregarded for the purposes of calculating any pension payable under this Chapter.
12.—(1) A pension payable under this Chapter may be commuted for a lump sum—
(a)with the consent of the child’s remaining parent or, if he has none, the child’s guardian or, if he has none, the child himself if he is over 18, and
(2) The amount of the lump sum shall be .calculated in accordance with tables prepared by the Scheme Actuary and in force when the commutation takes effect
(3) On the day on which a pension is commuted under this rule, all other entitlements of the child under this Scheme are extinguished to the extent that they derive from the deceased member.
PART 5AWARDS ON DEATH
1.—(1) On the death of a person while serving as a firefighter member, the authority shall pay a death grant of an amount ascertained in accordance with the following provisions of this rule (whether or not a pension is payable under any other Part).
(2) Subject to paragraphs (3) to (5) and, where paragraph (8) applies, paragraph (9), the amount is three times that of the deceased’s pensionable pay at the time of his death, expressed as an annual rate.
(a)the deceased was a whole-time firefighter member at the time of his death,
(b)had he lived, the deceased would have been entitled to two pensions under rule 7 of Part 3, and
(c)the product of the following formula is greater than three times that of the deceased’s pensionable pay at the time of his death, expressed as an annual rate—
A is the amount of the deceased’s pensionable pay on his last day of service that would have been used in the calculation of his pension under rule 7(3) of Part 3,
B is the deceased’s pensionable service that would have been used in that calculation,
C is the deceased’s qualifying service,
D is the deceased’s pensionable service that would have been used in the calculation of his pension under rule 7(4) of Part 3, and
E is the deceased’s pensionable pay at the time of his death,
the amount of the death grant is that greater amount.
(4) Where the deceased was a part–time firefighter member at any time during his period of service (whether or not he was a whole–time firefighter member for part of that period), the amount of the death grant is the greater of—
(a)three times his pensionable pay at the time of his death (which, if he was then employed part–time, would be calculated at the part–time rate), expressed as an annual rate; and
(b)the product of the formula , where—
F is the deceased’s pensionable service,
G is the deceased’s qualifying service, and
H is the pensionable pay that he would have received if, throughout his period of service, he had been a whole–time firefighter of equivalent role and length of service;
(5) Where the deceased—
(a)had become entitled to two pensions under rule 7(1) of Part 3 at the time of his death; and
(b)had been a part–time firefighter member during the period of service in respect of which he was entitled to a second pension under rule 7(4) of that Part (whether or not he had been a whole–time firefighter member for part of that period),
the amount is whichever is the greatest of—
(i)three times his pensionable pay at the time of his death, expressed as an annual rate,
(ii)the product of the formula specified in paragraph (3), and
(iii)the product of the formula specified in paragraph (4).
(6) Where the deceased was absent from duty without pay immediately before the day on which he died, his pensionable pay for the purposes of this rule, subject to paragraph (8), shall be taken to be the amount, expressed as an annual rate, of the pay appropriate to his role and conditioned hours on the last occasion that he received it.
(7) In paragraph (6), “conditioned hours” means the number of hours that the deceased was required to work each week under the terms of his contract of employment.
(8) The pensionable pay of a person who—
(a)had made an election under rule 4 of Part 10 (reckoning of unpaid period of absence), and
(b)dies before making any payment under paragraph (2) of that rule,
shall be taken to be the amount, expressed as an annual rate, of the pensionable pay that would have been paid if the period of the person’s absence from duty without pay had reckoned as pensionable service.
(9) Where paragraph (8) applies, the death grant shall be abated by the amount due to the authority under rule 4(1) of Part 10.
(10) Subject to paragraph (11), the death grant may be paid, in whole or in part, to such person or persons as the authority think fit.
(11) The authority must not pay any part of a death grant to a person who is convicted of the murder or manslaughter of the deceased, but this is subject to paragraph (12).
(12) Where a conviction of the description mentioned in paragraph (11) is quashed on appeal, the authority may, if they have not then paid the death grant in full, pay part of it to the person whose conviction is quashed.
Post-retirement death grant
(a)a pension under any of rules 1 to 3, 5 or 6 of Part 3 is in payment; and
(b)the pensioner dies within five years of the pension coming into payment,
the authority shall pay, by way of post-retirement death grant, an amount equal to the difference between—
(i)the amount that they would have paid to the pensioner in that five year period, disregarding any increase in the pension that might have become payable after his death, and
(ii)the amount paid to him before his death (including any lump sum that he may have received on commutation under rule 9 or 10 of Part 3).
(2) Paragraphs (9) to (11) of rule 1 shall apply in relation to a grant under this rule as they apply in relation to a death grant.
PART 6PENSION SHARING ON DIVORCE
1.—(1) A pension credit member is entitled to a pension for life which becomes payable—
(a)when he attains the age of 65, or
(2) The pension must be of such an amount that its actuarial value is equal to the member’s pension credit, as calculated from tables prepared by the Scheme Actuary and in accordance with regulations made under paragraph 5(b) of Schedule 5 to the 1999 Act.
Commutation of whole of pension credit benefits
2.—(1) In the circumstances described in regulation 3(2)(b) of the Pension Sharing (Pension Credit Benefit) Regulations 2000(22) (commutation of pension credit benefit: small pensions), the authority may, with the agreement of the pension credit member, commute for a lump sum the whole of the pension to which a pension credit member is entitled under rule 1 if, after commutation, the lump sum would be a trivial commutation lump sum death benefit within the meaning of paragraph 20 of Schedule 29 to the Finance Act 2004.
(2) The lump sum under paragraph (1) is the actuarial equivalent of the pension at normal benefit age, calculated from tables prepared by the Scheme Actuary.
Commutation of part of pension credit benefits
3.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), a pension credit member may commute for a lump sum a portion of the pension to which he is entitled or prospectively entitled under rule 1 (“the commuted portion”).
(2) The commuted portion must not exceed—
(a)one quarter of the amount of the pension; or
(b)the annual rate of the pension for the first year that it is payable, disregarding—
(i)the reduction resulting from the application of this rule, and
(ii)any reduction resulting from the application of any other provision of this Scheme.
(3) Paragraph (1) does not apply if the pension debit member from whose rights the pension credit member’s pension credit is derived has received a lump sum under rule 9 of Part 3 (commutation: general) before the date on which the pension sharing order takes effect.
(4) A person who wishes to commute a portion of a pension under paragraph (1) must give the authority written notice of commutation not later than the day before the pension comes into payment and not earlier than four months before—
(a)the date on which the person attains normal benefit age, or
(b)the date on which the pension sharing order takes effect,
(5) Notice of commutation must specify the commuted portion.
(6) A person’s notice of commutation takes effect on the date on which the pension under rule 1 becomes payable.
(7) When a person’s notice of commutation takes effect, the authority shall—
(a)reduce the pension by the commuted portion,
(b)calculate the lump sum by multiplying by 12 the amount of the person’s pension represented by the commuted portion at the date of retirement, and
(c)pay him the lump sum as soon as reasonably practicable after—
(i)the date on which he attains normal benefit age, or
(ii)the date on which the pension sharing order takes effect,
4.—(1) The provisions of this Scheme specified in paragraph (2) apply to pension credit members and awards payable to or in respect of them; but except where other provision is made by this Part or a contrary intention appears—
(a)this Scheme shall not apply to pension credit members and benefits payable to or in respect of them, except if and to the extent that they are also members of this Scheme in another capacity or dependants of a member, and
(b)benefits payable to or in respect of a pension credit member may not be aggregated with benefits payable to or in respect of him—
(i)in any other capacity; or
(ii)as a pension credit member, deriving from any other pension debit member.
rule 2 of Part 8 (determinations and decisions by fire and rescue authorities),
rule 5 of Part 9 (withdrawal of pension on conviction of certain offences),
rule 1 of Part 14 (authorities responsible for payment of awards),
rule 2 of that Part (deduction of tax and lifetime allowance charges),
rule 3 of that Part (payment of awards),
rule 5 of that Part (payments for minors and persons incapable of managing their affairs), and
rule 6 of that Part (payment of awards: further supplementary provision).
Post-retirement death grant: pension credit members
(a)a pension credit member dies within five years of the pension under rule 1 coming into payment and before his 75th birthday, and
(i)the amount that is five times the pension, calculated at the annual rate effective on the day that it came into payment, and
(ii)the aggregate of—
(aa)the instalments of pension that have been paid, and
(bb)any lump sum received on commutation under rule 3,
the authority shall pay a post-retirement death grant of the amount of that difference.
(2) The grant may be paid, in whole or in part, to such person or persons as the authority think fit.
(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1), any increases which, if the pension had continued in payment, would have been taken into account, shall be disregarded.
PART 7RESERVISTS
“the 1996 Act” means the Reserve Forces Act 1996(23);
“forces period” means the period during which a person undertakes relevant service in the reserve forces;
“former authority”, in relation to a reservist, means the authority by which he was employed immediately before his forces period began;
“qualifying injury” means an injury, received by a person in the performance of his duties as a firefighter, which is not wholly or mainly due to his own serious and culpable negligence or misconduct;
by virtue of a call out for permanent service or a recall under the Reserve Forces Act 1980(24) or Part 7 of the 1996 Act; and
“reservist” means a person who, immediately before a forces period, was a firefighter.
2.—(1) For the purposes of this Scheme, a reservist shall be treated as having continued, throughout his forces period—
(a)to be a firefighter; and
(b)for the purposes of his pensionable service under Part 10, to be employed by his former authority.
(2) Where, before his forces period, a reservist had elected to purchase additional service under Chapter 2 of Part 11 by periodical contributions, his forces period is not reckonable as pensionable service unless the contributions payable in respect of it are paid (whether during his forces period or, if the authority have agreed that contributions may be discontinued as mentioned in paragraph (2) of rule 8 of Part 11 (discontinuance period not exceeding six months), in accordance with that paragraph).
(3) For the purposes of calculating the amount of a reservist’s pension contributions under rule 3 of Chapter 1 of Part 11—
(a)the pay that he would have received from his former authority during his forces period shall be regarded as his pay for that period (his “notional pay”); and
(b)in respect of any period during his forces period in which the aggregate of—
(i)his actual pay; and
(ii)any payments he receives under section 4 of the 1996 Act,
is less than his notional pay for that first-mentioned period, he shall be treated as having no pensionable pay (and, accordingly, no liability to make pension contributions)(25).
Awards on death or permanent disablement
3.—(1) A reservist who, at the end of his forces period, is permanently disabled(26) for performing the duties of a firefighter by reason of an infirmity that—
is entitled to an award under rule 2 of Part 3 (award on ill-health retirement).
(2) Where a reservist dies—
(a)during his forces period;
(b)from the effects of an injury which rendered him incapable of performing the duties of a firefighter; or
(c)while receiving a pension under this Scheme,
an award shall be payable in accordance with paragraph (3) or (4).
(3) Where the reservist’s death—
(a)is not the result of a qualifying injury, and
(b)occurs during his forces period,
a survivor’s pension under Chapter 1 of Part 4 is payable to his spouse, civil partner or nominated partner (as the case may be) as if the reservist were a firefighter member entitled as mentioned in rule 1(a) of that Part.
(4) Where the reservist’s death occurs during his forces period and is not the result of a qualifying injury—
(a)a child’s pension is payable under Chapter 2 of Part 4 as if—
(i)the reservist were a firefighter member who died while employed by an authority; and
(ii)paragraphs (1)(c), (2) and (3) of rule 8 were omitted; and
(b)a death grant is payable under rule 1 of Part 5.
Reservists who do not resume employment with their former authority
4. A reservist who does not resume employment with his former authority within one month of the end of his forces period shall be treated as having left the authority’s employment at the end of his forces period.
PART 8DETERMINATION OF QUESTIONS AND APPEALS
“IQMP” means independent qualified medical practitioner; and
“rule 3 response” means an IQMP’s response under rule 3(2).
Determinations and decisions by fire and rescue authority
2.—(1) The question whether a person is entitled to any and, if so, what awards, shall be determined in the first instance by the authority.
(2) Subject to paragraph (6), before deciding, for the purpose of determining that question or any other question arising under this Scheme—
(a)whether the person is disabled,
(b)whether any disablement is likely to be permanent,
(c)whether the person has become capable of performing any duties of the role from which he retired on grounds of ill–health,
(d)whether the person is or has become capable of undertaking regular employment, or
(e)any other issue wholly or partly of a medical nature,
the authority shall obtain the written opinion of an IQMP selected by them.
(3) The IQMP must certify in his opinion under paragraph (2)—
(a)that he has not previously advised, or given his opinion on, or otherwise been involved in, the particular case for which the opinion has been requested, and
(b)that he is not acting, and has not at any time acted, as the representative of the employee, the authority, or any other party in relation to the same case.
(4) An IQMP’s opinion under paragraph (2) shall be binding on the authority unless it is superseded by his rule 3 response or the outcome of an appeal under rule 4.
(5) Where, in consequence of an opinion given under paragraph (2), an employee has retired on grounds of ill–health, the IQMP who gave the opinion may, if so requested by the authority for the purposes of a review under rule 1(1) of Part 9, give a further opinion.
(a)the person concerned wilfully or negligently fails to submit himself to medical examination by the IQMP selected by the authority, and
(b)the IQMP is unable to give an opinion on the basis of the medical evidence available to him,
the authority may make a decision on the issue—
(i)on such other medical evidence as they think fit, or
(ii)without medical evidence.
(7) Within 14 days of making a decision or determination under this rule, the authority shall—
(a)give written notice of it to the person concerned, and
(b)in the case of a decision on an issue wholly or partly of a medical nature, unless paragraph (6) applies, supply him with a copy of the opinion obtained under paragraph (2).
Review of medical opinion
(a)new evidence on an issue wholly or partly of a medical nature is presented to the authority by a person in respect of whom a decision has been made under rule 2,
(i)where a copy of an opinion was supplied in accordance with paragraph (7) of rule 1, within 28 days of the receipt by that person of that copy, and
(ii)in any other case, within 28 days of the receipt by that person of notice of the authority’s decision, and
(2) An IQMP’s response to an invitation under paragraph (1) shall be in writing.
(3) An IQMP’s rule 3 response shall be binding on the authority unless it is superseded by the outcome of an appeal under rule 4.
(4) As soon as reasonably practicable after receiving a rule 3 response, the authority shall reconsider their decision.
(a)give written notice to the person concerned that they have confirmed their decision or revised their decision (as the case may be),
(b)if they have revised their decision, supply him with written notice of the revised decision, and
(c)supply him with a copy of the rule 3 response.
Appeals against decisions based on medical advice
4.—(1) A person who wishes to appeal against an authority’s decision on an issue of a medical nature may do so to a Board of medical referees in accordance with the provisions of Annex 2.
(a)is made with regard to an opinion obtained under rule 2(2) or medical evidence relied on as mentioned in rule 2(6), or
(b)is reconsidered under rule 3(4) with regard to a rule 3 response,
the authority shall, within 14 days of making, confirming or revising the decision (as the case may be), send to the person concerned the documents mentioned in paragraph (4).
(3) Nothing in paragraph (2) requires the supply of documents that have already been supplied under rule 2(7) or 3(5).
(b)an explanation of the procedure for appeals under this rule, (“the explanation”), and
(c)a statement that, if the person wishes to appeal against the authority’s decision on an issue of a medical nature, he must give written notice to the authority, stating his name and address and the grounds of his appeal, not later than 28 days after he receives the last of the documents required to be supplied to him under this paragraph, or within such longer period as the authority may allow.
Appeals on other issues
(a)a person disagrees with an authority’s determination under rule 2, and
(b)his disagreement does not involve an issue of a medical nature,
he may, by written notice given to the authority within 28 days of receipt of the determination, require the authority to deal with the disagreement by means of the arrangements implemented by them pursuant to the requirements of section 50 of the Pensions Act 1995(27)(resolution of disputes) and the Occupational Pension Schemes (Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures) Regulations 1996(28).
Review of ill-health pension
1.—(1) So long as a person—
(a)has been in receipt of an ill–health pension for less than 10 years, and
(b)is under state pensionable age,
the authority shall consider, at such intervals as they think proper, whether he has become capable—
(i)of performing any duty appropriate to the role from which he retired on grounds of ill–health, and
(2) The authority shall, at such intervals as they think proper, consider in relation to a person whose deferred pension is being paid early by virtue of rule 3(4) of Part 3 (early payment of deferred pension on permanent disablement), the same matters as they are required to consider in relation to persons of the description mentioned in paragraph (1).
2.—(1) If, on such consideration as is mentioned in rule 1(1), it is found that a person who is in receipt of a higher tier ill–health pension has become capable of undertaking regular employment, his entitlement to that pension shall cease with immediate effect.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), a lower tier ill–health pension shall continue to be paid to a person who ceases to be entitled to a higher tier ill–health pension.
(a)on such consideration as is mentioned in rule 1(1), it is found that a person who is in receipt of a lower tier ill–health pension has become capable of performing the duties appropriate to the role from which he retired on grounds of ill–health, and
(b)the authority make him an offer of employment in that role (“a paragraph (3)(b) offer”),
his entitlement to a lower tier ill–health pension shall cease, with immediate effect, whether he accepts or declines the offer.
(5) If, on such consideration as is mentioned in rule 1(2), it is found that a person whose deferred pension is being paid early has become capable of undertaking regular employment, his entitlement to early payment of the deferred pension shall cease with immediate effect.
Withdrawal of pension during service as firefighter
3.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the authority by which a pension under Part 3 is payable may withdraw the whole or any part of the pension for any period during which the person entitled to it is again employed as a firefighter by any authority.
(2) Where a person who is entitled to pensions under this Scheme in respect of both regular and retained or volunteer service (whether from the same authority or from different authorities)—
(a)resumes regular service, but does not resume retained or volunteer service, or
(b)resumes retained or volunteer service, but does not resume regular service,
paragraph (1) applies only as regards the pension referable to his previous retained or volunteer service or, as the case may be, his previous regular service.
(3) An authority may abate a pension to which a person is entitled under Part 3 so long as he is employed (in whatever capacity) by any authority.
(a)is entitled to a pension under Part 3, and
(b)accepts an offer of employment with an authority (in whatever capacity),
shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after accepting that offer, give written notice to each authority by which a pension is payable to him under Part 3, specifying the name of his employing authority.
4. A person who, on dismissal from an authority’s employment, becomes entitled to a deferred pension under rule 3 of Part 3, shall not be entitled to early payment of the deferred pension before reaching the age of 65, unless the authority by which the pension is payable determine otherwise.
5.—(1) Where paragraph (2) applies, the authority by which a pension under Part 3 or 4 is payable may withdraw the pension in whole or in part and permanently or temporarily as they think fit.
(a)the pensioner has been convicted of an offence referred to in paragraph (3), and, in the case of a pension under Part 4, that the offence was committed after the death on which the pensioner became entitled to it, or
(b)that the pensioner has been convicted of an offence, committed in connection with his employment by an authority, which is certified by the Secretary of State—
(i)as gravely injurious to the interests of the State; or
(ii)as likely to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service.
(b)one or more offences under the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1989(29) for which the pensioner has been sentenced, on the same occasion—
(ii)to two or more consecutive terms amounting in aggregate to at least 10 years.
(4) The authority may, at any time and to such extent as they think fit—
6. A person who has been convicted of an offence under subsection (6) of section 34 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 (acts or omissions for purposes of obtaining awards or other sums), forfeits the whole or part of an award or sum obtained by him under this Scheme, as the authority think fit.
1. For the purposes of this Scheme, the following periods are periods of a person’s qualifying service—
(i)is a firefighter member of the Scheme,
(ii)is on unpaid leave other than unauthorised absence,
(iii)has made an election under rule 4(1) of this Part, and
(iv)has paid such contributions as are required to be paid under paragraph (2) of that rule in respect of that period;
(c)in relation to the second pension under rule 7 of Part 3 (entitlement to two pensions), the period of qualifying service taken into account in calculating the first pension under that rule;
(f)where the person was a member of the 1992 Scheme, the period of service used for determining his eligibility for an award under that Scheme; and
(g)any period of service that may be credited to the firefighter member resulting from maternity, paternity or adoption leave.
2.—(1) Subject to paragraph (6), for the purposes of this Scheme, a person’s pensionable service accrues as pension contributions are paid, and consists of—
(b)any period of service taken into account for the purposes of an award under rule 3 (deferred pension) or rule 7 (entitlement to two pensions) of Part 3 where, on again taking up employment with an authority—
(ii)in accordance with rule 4 of Part 3 (cancellation of deferred pension), the award under rule 3 or rule 7 is cancelled;
(c)any period which he is entitled to reckon as pensionable service under rule 4 (reckoning of unpaid period of absence) or rule 5 (reckoning of maternity, paternity and adoption leave, etc) of this Part or under any of rules 5 to 9 of Part 11;
(d)any period of pensionable service taken into account for the purposes of an ill–health award under rule 2 of Part 3, other than any period included by way of enhancement, where—
(ii)he remains a member of this Scheme (whether or not as an employee of the authority which made the award);
(e)if he rejoins this Scheme on again taking up employment with an authority, any period of service as a former member of the Scheme, in respect of which—
(2) The pensionable service of a firefighter member may not exceed 45 years.
(i)that service,
(ii)his prospective service to normal retirement age, and
(5) Subject to paragraph (6), an additional period of service purchased or in the process of being purchased under Part 11 is to be taken into account for the purposes of determining—
3. The following periods are not reckonable as pensionable service—
(a)any period of unpaid leave, other than a period that is reckonable by virtue of rule 4 of this Part;
(b)any period of service that has been taken into account for the purposes of a pension under rule 3 of Part 3 (deferred pension) that has not been cancelled under rule 4 of that Part;
(c)any period of absence resulting from sickness or injury attributable to the person’s misconduct which the authority determine should be unpaid leave;
(d)any period of additional maternity or adoption leave in respect of which the person entitled has declined to pay the required contributions; and
4.—(1) A firefighter member may reckon as pensionable service all or part of a period of absence without pay if he elects to pay the pension contributions that he and his employing authority would have paid in accordance with Part 11 in respect of that period if it had been a period of absence with pay.
(2) An election under paragraph (1) is to be made by written notice given to the employing authority not later than six months from the end of the period of unpaid leave for which contributions are due.
(3) An authority may pay the employer’s pension contributions that would otherwise fall to be paid by the employee as a result of his election.
(4) Contributions falling to be paid by the employee under this rule must be paid within six months of the date on which the notice under paragraph (2) is given.
5.—(1) A female firefighter member is entitled to reckon as pensionable service any period of—
(c)unpaid maternity leave in respect of which she has paid pension contributions in accordance with rule 4 of Part 11.
(d)unpaid additional adoption leave in respect of which he has paid pension contributions in accordance with rule 4 of Part 11.
6.—(1) Paragraphs (3) to (5) are subject to rule 2(2) and (3).
(3) The pensionable service of a whole-time regular firefighter member shall be calculated in accordance with the formula—
A + (B ÷ 365) years, where—
A is the person’s weekly contractual hours,
B is the weekly whole-time equivalent conditioned hours, and
C is the period of his part-time service in years (calculated in accordance with the formula in paragraph (3), and with regard to paragraph (2)).
(5) The pensionable service of a retained or volunteer firefighter for any year or part of a year of his service shall be assessed as a proportion of whole–time service in accordance with the formula—
(b)by virtue of the receipt by an authority of a transfer value payment, he is entitled to reckon a period of pensionable service (“the credited period”) by reason of employment for a period (“the previous employment period”) which includes that date,
(a)his pay in relation to the performance of the duties of his role, other than any allowance or emoluments that are paid to him on a temporary basis, and
(b)his permanent emoluments (including, in the case of a retained firefighter, any retaining allowance).
(2) Where a firefighter member surrenders the right to receive part of his pensionable pay in exchange for the provision by his employing authority of any non–cash benefit, the amount forgone shall continue to be treated as part of his pensionable pay for all purposes of this Scheme (including determining pension contributions and calculating awards).
(3) A firefighter member’s pensionable pay in any tax year shall be taken not to include any amount in excess of the permitted maximum for that year.
(5) Where the retail price index for the month of December in the tax year preceding the tax year in question is higher than it was for the previous December, the permitted maximum for the tax year in question shall be the amount arrived at—
2.—(1) For the purpose of calculating pensions under this Scheme, the final pensionable pay of a firefighter member is the aggregate of pensionable pay received in respect of the 365 pensionable pay days ending with the relevant date, but this is subject to the following paragraphs of this rule.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), “the relevant date” for the purposes of paragraph (1)—
(i)as regards the first pension, the date on which he was last paid at the higher rate (before changing roles and accepting a reduction in pensionable pay);
(ii)as regards the second pension, the last day of his membership of the Scheme(30) or, if he dies in service, the date of his death;
(b)in any other case, means the date of the firefighter member’s last day of pensionable service or, if he dies in service, the date of his death;
(3) Where a firefighter member’s final pensionable pay would have been more than the amount calculated in accordance with paragraph (1) if the relevant date had occurred on the corresponding day in either of the two periods of 365 pensionable pay days preceding the first day of the period of 365 pensionable pay days ending with the relevant date (as defined in paragraph (2) without reference to this paragraph), that corresponding day in whichever of those periods produces the higher amount shall be treated as the relevant date for the purposes of paragraph (1).
(4) Subject to paragraph (6), where a firefighter member is entitled to count only part of a year as a period of membership of the Scheme (“the membership period”), his final pensionable pay is the amount of pensionable pay received in the membership period multiplied by 365 and divided by the number of days in the membership period.
(f)unpaid additional maternity leave or additional adoption leave in respect of which pension contributions have been paid,
(6) The final reference pay of a retained or volunteer firefighter shall be determined by reference to the equivalent whole–time rate of pay for a regular firefighter of similar service, role and experience.
(7) A firefighter member’s final pensionable pay in any tax year shall be taken not to include any amount in excess of the figure which is the permitted maximum for that year.
3.—(1) A firefighter member shall pay pension contributions to the authority at the rate of 8.5% of his pensionable pay for the time being.
(3) For the purposes of this rule, the pensionable pay of a firefighter member during a period of maternity, paternity or adoption leave shall be the pay that the person receives for that period including the value of any statutory maternity, paternity or adoption pay under the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992(31).
4.—(1) A firefighter member who−
(2) The contributions shall be calculated by applying rule 3 to the pensionable pay (including any statutory maternity or adoption pay under the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992) received immediately before the start of the unpaid period in question.
(3) Subject to paragraph (6), an election must be made by giving written notice to the authority before the expiry of the period of 30 days (or such longer period as the authority may allow) beginning with−
(a)the day on which he returns to work, or
(b)if he does not return to work after the leave period, the day he ceases to be employed by the authority.
(4) On receipt of the notice, the authority shall calculate the amount of contributions due and shall give written notice of that amount to the person concerned.
(5) Where the full amount of contributions due has not been paid within six months of the date of the notice given under paragraph (4), the person concerned shall be entitled to reckon as pensionable service such proportion of the period in respect of which contributions were due as the amount of contributions paid bears to the total amount of contributions due.
(6) Where a person dies before the end of the period of 30 days referred to in paragraph (3) without having given the required notice—
(a)he shall be deemed to have given the notice, and
(i)shall give to his personal representatives a statement of the amount of contributions due; and
(c)would be entitled to reckon less than 40 years’ pensionable service at normal retirement age.
(c)his prospective service from that date to normal retirement age,
must not exceed 40 years.
(b)subject to paragraphs (5) and (6), by deduction from the person’s pensionable pay of periodical contributions of such percentage of that pay as shall be determined by the Scheme Actuary.
(5) An authority may permit a part–time regular firefighter to purchase additional service by periodical contributions at a rate that bears to the percentage determined by the Scheme Actuary the same proportion as his pensionable pay bears to the pensionable pay of a full–time regular firefighter serving in the same role.
(6) An authority may permit a retained or volunteer firefighter to purchase additional service by periodical contributions; and in such a case they shall calculate the amount of the contributions by applying the rate determined by the Scheme Actuary to the firefighter’s reference pay.
(a)must be made by written notice given to the authority not later than 12 months after the date on which the person last became employed by the authority as a firefighter, and
(2) An election to pay periodical contributions must be made by written notice given to the authority at least two years before the person’s normal retirement age, but no such election may be made where he and the authority have agreed that he will leave the scheme with an entitlement under any of rules 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 of Part 3.
7.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), where a person has elected under rule 6(2) to pay periodical contributions, they are payable from his next birthday and continue to be payable until normal retirement age.
(2) Paragraph (1) ceases to apply to a person who leaves his employment before normal retirement age—
(a)where he is entitled to a pension under rule 3 of Part 3 (deferred pension), on his last day of service,
(b)where he becomes entitled to a second pension under rule 7 of that Part (entitlement to two pensions), on his last day of service in the second period of employment,
(c)on the date on which he ceases to be employed by any authority, or
(3) Where a sub-paragraph of paragraph (2) applies, the period of additional service purchased up to the date referred to in that sub-paragraph shall be treated as if it were the period ascertained in accordance with the formula:
, where —
A is the number of 60ths of additional service which he elected to purchase,
C is the period in respect of which contributions would, but for the cessation of his employment, have been made in accordance with the election.
(4) The period of additional service calculated in accordance with paragraph (3) shall be treated—
(b)where he qualifies for a deferred pension (rule 3 of Part 3), as part of the pensionable service on which the deferred pension is calculated;
(c)where he takes member-initiated early retirement (rule 5 of Part 3), as part of the award to which the actuarial reduction is applied;
(d)where he takes authority-initiated early retirement (rule 6 of Part 3), as part of his pensionable service;
(e)where, on commencing a second period of employment with the same authority, he becomes entitled to two pensions (rule 7 of Part 3)—
(5) The period of additional service calculated in accordance with paragraph (3) shall not be treated as part of the pensionable service on which—
(b)the notional ill-health pension calculated where a survivor’s pension is awarded on his death in service is calculated (rule 2(1) of Part 4).
(6) Additional service purchased by the payment of periodical contributions shall accrue annually in accordance with the contributions paid.
(b)solely on the grounds of his financial circumstances,
agree to discontinue the making of deductions from his pay by way of such contributions.
(2) Where the firefighter member and the authority agree that deductions should be discontinued for a period not exceeding six months (“the discontinuance period”), the authority shall resume the making of deductions as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of that period or, at the request of the firefighter member, at such time before the end of that period as may be agreed.
(3) Where the firefighter member and the authority agree that deductions should be discontinued for a period of six months or more, the member’s election under rule 6 shall be treated as cancelled with effect from the date of the agreement.
(4) The period of additional service purchased up to the date on which the last contribution was deducted shall be treated as if it were the period ascertained in accordance with the formula:
a deduction of an amount equal to the aggregate of the contributions that would otherwise have been made in respect of that period shall be made on the same occasion as the first resumed deduction is made.
(6) Where the firefighter member’s rate of pay at the end of the discontinuance period is less than at the beginning of that period, deductions in respect of the discontinuance period shall be made at the rate that would have applied if deductions had been made from his salary during that period.
Periodical contributions in respect of periods of unpaid service or absence
(a)has elected to purchase additional service in respect of a period of unpaid service or unpaid leave which falls within the period in respect of which contributions are payable in accordance with rule 8(1), and
(2) The requirements of this paragraph are that the firefighter member must, not later than one month after the end of the period of unpaid service or leave (as the case may be), require the authority to deduct from his pay an amount equal to the aggregate of the contributions that would have been made in respect of that period if it had been a period of paid service.
(3) In paragraphs (1) and (2) “unpaid leave” means adoption leave, additional adoption leave, additional maternity leave or ordinary maternity leave or other absence without pay (including absence while participating in a strike).
10.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), where a period of additional service has been purchased by way of a lump sum payment, the firefighter member’s pensionable service shall be increased by that period as regards any award payable to him under this Scheme.
(2) A period of additional service purchased by way of a lump sum payment shall not be treated as part of the pensionable service on which the amount of any higher tier ill-health pension is calculated under rule 2 of Part 3.
(3) If the firefighter member takes member-initiated early retirement the period of additional service shall be part of the total to which the actuarial reduction is applied under rule 5 of Part 3.
(4) If the firefighter member takes authority-initiated early retirement the period of additional service shall be part of the pensionable service on which the pension is calculated under rule 6 of Part 3.
PART 12TRANSFERS INTO AND OUT OF THE SCHEME
CHAPTER 1INTERPRETATION OF PART 12 AND ENTITLEMENT TO TRANSFER VALUE PAYMENT
“guaranteed cash equivalent transfer value payment” means a payment of the description mentioned in rule 4(2); and
“public sector transfer arrangements” means arrangements approved by the Secretary of State as providing reciprocal arrangements for the payment and receipt of transfer values between this Scheme and other occupational pension schemes.
Entitlement to transfer value payment
2.—(1) This Part supplements the rights conferred by Chapter IV of Part IV of the 1993 Act (transfer values) (“Chapter IV”).
(2) Subject to rule 12 (transfer of pension history between English authorities), a firefighter member or deferred member—
(a)to whom Chapter IV applies(32), and
(b)who is not a pension credit member or pensioner member of this Scheme,
is entitled to require the payment of a transfer value in respect of the rights to benefit that have accrued to or in respect of him under this Scheme.
(3) Subject to the provisions of this Part, any former firefighter member, other than a pensioner member, is entitled to require such a payment as if such rights had accrued to or in respect of him by reference to the pensionable service he is entitled to count under this Scheme (and references in this Part to his accrued rights or benefits are to be read accordingly).
(4) Paragraph (3) does not apply if the contributions the former member has paid during the period of service ending with his ceasing to be a firefighter member are refunded under rule 8 of Part 3 and, where applicable, in accordance with Chapter V of Part IV of the 1993 Act.
(5) Paragraphs (2) and (3) do not apply to rights that are directly attributable to a pension credit.
CHAPTER 2TRANSFERS OUT OF THE SCHEME
Applications for statements of entitlement
3.—(1) A member who requires a transfer value payment to be made must apply in writing to the authority for a statement of the amount of the cash equivalent of the member’s accrued benefits under the Scheme at the guarantee date (“a statement of entitlement”).
(2) In this Chapter, “the guarantee date” means any date that—
(a)falls within the required period,
(b)is chosen by the authority,
(c)is specified in the statement of entitlement, and
(d)is within the period of ten days ending with the date on which the member is provided with the statement of entitlement.
(3) In counting the period of ten days referred to in paragraph (2)(d), Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Good Friday are excluded.
(a)the period of three months beginning with the date of the member’s application for a statement of entitlement, or
(b)such longer period (not exceeding six months beginning with that date) as may reasonably be required if, for reasons beyond the control of the authority, the requisite information cannot be obtained to calculate the amount of the cash equivalent.
(5) The member may withdraw the application for a statement of entitlement by written notice at any time before the statement is provided.
(6) Where, in any period of twelve consecutive months, a member—
(a)has made, and not withdrawn, two applications for a statement of entitlement, and
(b)makes a third (or subsequent) application,
the authority shall not be required to entertain the application if it is not accompanied by a payment of such amount as the authority may reasonably require.
Applications for transfer value payments
4.—(1) A member who has applied for and received a statement of entitlement under rule 3 may apply in writing to the authority for a transfer value payment to be made.
(2) On making such an application a member becomes entitled to payment of an amount equal, or amounts equal in aggregate, to the amount specified in the statement of entitlement (or such other amount as may be payable by virtue of paragraph (9)).
(3) An application under paragraph (1) must be made before the end of the period of three months beginning with the guarantee date, and the payment must be made no later than—
(a)six months after that date, or
(b)if it is earlier, the date on which the member reaches normal benefit age.
(5) Subject to paragraph (6), an application by a person who is entitled to apply for a guaranteed cash equivalent transfer value payment under Chapter IV of Part IV of the 1993 Act may only be made before—
(a)the beginning of the period of one year ending with the date on which the member reaches normal benefit age, or
(b)the end of the period of six months beginning with the day after that on which the member’s pensionable service ends, provided that service ends at least one year before normal benefit age,
(6) An application for a transfer value payment to be made under public sector transfer arrangements may only be made—
(a)before the first anniversary of the day on which the member becomes eligible to be a firefighter member of the scheme to which the transfer is to be made, and
(b)before the member reaches normal benefit age.
(7) An application by a person who is not entitled to apply for a guaranteed cash equivalent transfer value payment under Chapter IV of Part IV of the 1993 Act may only be made—
(a)on or before the first anniversary of the day on which the applicant ceases to be a firefighter member of this Scheme, and
(8) An application under this rule may be withdrawn by written notice, unless an agreement for the application of the whole or part of the guaranteed cash equivalent transfer value payment has been entered into with a third party before the notice is given.
(9) If the payment is made later than six months after the guarantee date, the amount of the payment to which the member is entitled must be increased by—
(a)the amount by which the amount specified in the statement of entitlement falls short of the amount it would have been if the guarantee date had been the date on which the payment is made, or
(b)if it is greater and there was no reasonable excuse for the delay in payment, interest on the amount specified in the statement of entitlement, calculated on a daily basis over the period from the guarantee date to the date when the payment is made at an annual rate of one per cent. above base rate.
(10) In this rule—
“base rate” means the base rate for the time being quoted by the reference banks or, where there is for the time being more than one such base rate, the rate which, when the base rate quoted by each bank is ranked in descending sequence of seven, is fourth in the sequence; and
“the reference banks” means the seven largest persons for the time being who—
have permission under Part IV of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (permission to carry on regulated activities)(33) to accept deposits;
and for the purpose of this definition the size of a person at any time is to be determined by reference to the gross assets denominated in sterling of that person, together with any subsidiary (as defined in section 736 of the Companies Act 1985 (“subsidiary”, “holding company” and “wholly owned subsidiary”))(34), as shown in the audited end-of-year accounts last published before that time.
5.—(1) A member who is entitled to a guaranteed cash equivalent transfer value payment under Chapter IV of Part IV of the 1993 Act may only require the authority to apply the guaranteed cash equivalent transfer value payment in one or more of the ways permitted under section 95 of that Act.
(2) A member who is not entitled to a guaranteed cash equivalent transfer value payment under Chapter IV of Part IV of the 1993 Act may only require the authority to apply the guaranteed cash equivalent transfer value payment in one of the ways permitted under section 95 of that Act.
(a)the member’s accrued rights to a guaranteed minimum pension, or
may be excluded from the guaranteed cash equivalent transfer value payment if section 96(2) of the 1993 Act applies (trustees or managers of certain receiving schemes or arrangements able and willing to accept a transfer payment only in respect of the member’s other rights).
(a)a pension scheme that is registered under Chapter 2 of Part 4 of the Finance Act 2004, or
(b)an arrangement that is a qualifying recognised overseas pension scheme for the purposes of that Part (see section 169(2) of that Act).
Calculating amounts of transfer value payments
6.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), the amount of the guaranteed cash equivalent transfer value payment is to be calculated in accordance with guidance and tables provided by the Scheme Actuary for use at the guarantee date.
(2) In preparing those tables the Scheme Actuary must use such factors as he considers appropriate, having regard to section 97 of the 1993 Act and regulations under that Act (whether or not the payment is in respect of a person entitled to a guaranteed cash equivalent transfer value payment under that Act).
(3) If the amount calculated in accordance with paragraph (1) is less than the minimum transfer value, the amount of the guaranteed cash equivalent transfer value payment is to be equal to that value instead.
(4) In paragraph (3) “the minimum transfer value”, in relation to any person, means the sum of—
(a)any transfer value payments that have been made to the Scheme in respect of him, and
(b)any contributions paid by him under rule 3 of Part 11.
(5) If the transfer value payment is made under public sector transfer arrangements, the amount of the transfer value payment shall be calculated—
(a)in accordance with those arrangements rather than paragraphs (1) to (3), and
7. Where a transfer value payment is made under this Chapter in respect of a person’s rights under this Scheme, those rights are extinguished.
CHAPTER 3TRANSFERS INTO THE SCHEME
Applications for acceptance of transfer value payment from another scheme
8.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part, a firefighter member may apply for a transfer value payment in respect of some or all of the rights that have accrued to or in respect of him under—
(a)another occupational pension scheme registered under Chapter 2 of Part 4 of the Finance Act 2004,
(b)an arrangement that is a qualifying recognised overseas pension scheme for the purposes of that Part(35), or
(c)a personal pension scheme,
to be accepted by the authority for the purposes of this Scheme.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to rights that are directly referable to a pension credit.
(3) Paragraph (1) does not apply if the member is on unpaid leave that does not count as pensionable service.
Procedure for applications under rule 8
9.—(1) An application under rule 8—
(b)must specify the scheme or arrangement from which the transfer value payment is to be made and the anticipated amount of the payment, and
(c)subject to paragraph (2), must be made—
(i)before the beginning of the period of one year ending with the date on which the member reaches normal retirement age; and
(ii)in the case of a transfer value payment from a non-occupational pension scheme, during the period of one year beginning with the day on which the member becomes eligible to be a firefighter member, or such longer period as the authority may allow.
(2) In the case of a transfer value payment to be made under public sector transfer arrangements, the application under rule 8—
(a)must be made during the period of one year beginning with the day on which the member becomes eligible to be a firefighter member, or such longer period as the authority may allow, and
(b)must be received by the authority before the applicant reaches the age which is the normal pension age under the scheme by which the transfer value payment is to be made.
11.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), the period of pensionable service that a member is entitled to count under rule 10(2) shall be calculated as at the date on which the transfer value payment is received by the authority and in accordance with guidance and tables provided by the Scheme Actuary for the purpose.
(2) For the purposes of that calculation, the member’s pensionable earnings are to be taken to be the amount of those earnings as at—
(a)two months after the application under rule 8 is received, or
(b)the date on which the transfer value payment is received,
whichever is the later; and, in a case where the transfer value payment is received earlier than two months after that application is received, any necessary adjustment shall be made to that calculation to reflect any change in the amount of those earnings.
(3) If the transfer value payment is accepted under public sector transfer arrangements, the period that the member is entitled to count shall be calculated—
(a)subject to paragraph (4), in accordance with those arrangements, and
(b)by reference to the guidance and tables provided by the Scheme Actuary for the purposes of this paragraph, that are in use on the date that is used by the transferring scheme for calculating the transfer value payment.
(4) If the period that the member would be entitled to count would be greater if the transfer value payment were accepted otherwise than under public sector transfer arrangements—
(a)those arrangements shall not apply, and
(b)paragraph (1) of this rule shall apply instead.
CHAPTER 4TRANSFERS BETWEEN ENGLISH AUTHORITIES
Transfer of pension history between English authorities
12.—(1) Subject to paragraph (7), where a firefighter member—
(a)leaves the employment of an English authority (his “former authority”),
(b)without a break of service, takes up employment as a firefighter with another English authority (his “new authority”), and
(c)in that capacity continues to be a member of this Scheme,
his former authority shall, not later than six months after he left their employment, supply his new authority with a certificate showing the pensionable service he was entitled to reckon as at the date on which he left his former authority’s employment (“the material date”).
(2) At the same time as the former authority supply a certificate under paragraph (1), they shall send a copy of it to the person concerned, together with a statement of its effect on completion of the transfer.
(3) Subject to paragraph (7), if the person concerned is dissatisfied with the information specified in a certificate under paragraph (1), he may, within three months after being supplied with a copy of it, ask his former authority to determine the accuracy of the information contained in it.
(4) A person who makes a request under paragraph (3) shall send a copy of it to his new authority.
(5) A request under paragraph (3) shall be considered by means of the arrangements for the resolution of disagreements implemented by the authority pursuant to the requirements of section 50 of the Pensions Act 1995(36) (resolution of disputes) and the Occupational Pension Schemes (Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures) Regulations 1996(37); and the authority shall either confirm the certificate or issue a new certificate.
(6) If the person concerned does not make a request under paragraph (3), the certificate as supplied, and if he does make such a request, the certificate as confirmed or the new certificate issued (as the case may be), is conclusive as to the pensionable service he was entitled to reckon at the material date.
(7) If, after the material date but before a certificate has been supplied under paragraph (1), the person concerned—
(a)claims a pension or lump sum under this Scheme,
(b)claims a pension or lump sum under the Compensation Scheme, or
(c)dies,
that paragraph ceases to apply.
(8) If an event mentioned in any of sub-paragraphs (a) to (c) of paragraph (7) occurs before the certificate in question has become conclusive, the certificate ceases to have effect and paragraph (3) ceases to apply.
(9) As soon as reasonably practicable after a certificate has become conclusive, the new authority shall give effect to it by crediting the person concerned with the pensionable service shown in the certificate.
CHAPTER 5MIS-SOLD PENSIONS AND RESTITUTION PAYMENTS
Interpretation of Chapter 5
“calculated amount” means the amount which, in accordance with rule 15, an authority calculate would need to be made as a restitution payment in respect of the firefighter concerned;
“relevant methods and assumptions” means the methods and assumptions notified by the Scheme Actuary for the calculation of cash equivalent values for occupational pension schemes; and
(b)a person shall be taken to have transferred out if an authority have made a transfer value payment in respect of him under Chapter 2 of this Part to the administrator of a personal pension scheme.
14.—(1) This rule applies to a firefighter who—
(a)has opted out or transferred out, or both, and
(b)has suffered actionable loss as a result of a contravention which is actionable under section 150 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000(38) (actions for damages in respect of contraventions of rules etc made under the Act).
(2) A firefighter to whom this rule applies who has given notice—
(a)under rule 6 of Part 2 cancelling his contributions election, or
(b)under rule G3(5) of the 1992 Scheme (cancellation of election not to pay contributions),
may give written notice to the authority that he wishes them to accept a transfer value payment in order to create or restore his pensionable service.
(3) Paragraph (4) or (5) applies where, within twelve months of the date of a notice given under paragraph (2) or such longer period as the authority may allow, the authority have accepted a transfer value payment in relation to the firefighter who gave the notice (whether or not he has ceased to be a firefighter after the date of the notice) not exceeding the calculated amount.
(a)the whole of the relevant period shall be treated as pensionable service, and
(a)the authority shall, in accordance with the relevant methods and assumptions, calculate the period of pensionable service that the transfer value payment represents, and treat that period as pensionable service,
(b)for the purposes of calculating any award under this Scheme, the firefighter who gave the notice shall be treated as having made pension contributions throughout that period, and
(b)an additional period of reckonable service calculated in accordance with Part 4 of Schedule 6 to the 1992 Scheme (amount of transfer value),
the authority may adjust the amount of the transfer value payment that they accept under this rule to ensure that no part of the additional period of pensionable or reckonable service that was previously credited is included in the period of pensionable service credited under paragraph (4) or (5).
15.—(1) An authority shall, in accordance with paragraph (2), calculate the restitution payment that would need to be made to them in respect of a person to whom rule 14 applies to create or restore his position to what it would have been if he had not opted-out or, where relevant, transferred-out.
(a)the capitalised value at the material date, determined in accordance with the relevant methods and assumptions, which would produce a service credit equal to his total period of opted-out service, including the capitalized value of any rights under the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971(39) and the Pensions (Increase) Act 1974(40); and
(i)any transfer value paid by an authority to the administrator of a personal pension scheme in respect of the firefighter’s transferred-out service under Chapter 2 of this Part, increased by interest calculated at a rate approved by the Scheme Actuary over the period from the date of payment of that transfer value to the assumed calculation date; and
(ii)the cash equivalent transfer value that would be payable by the authority in respect of that transferred-out service if they were to pay a cash equivalent transfer value in respect of that service determined in accordance with the relevant methods and assumptions applicable immediately after the assumed calculation date.
“assumed calculation date” means the date on which it is assumed, for the purpose of calculating a restitution payment, that a transfer value will be paid to the authority; and
“material date” means the date on which the authority receive a notice under rule 14.
PART 13FIREFIGHTERS’ PENSION FUND
Firefighters’ Pension Fund: payments, receipts and transfers
1.—(1) The Firefighters’ Pension Fund established and maintained by the authority for the purposes of the 1992 Scheme(41) (“the FPF”), shall be used also for the purposes of payments and receipts required or authorised to be made by or under any provision of this Scheme.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), there shall be credited to the FPF or, where a transfer is made to the FPF from any other fund maintained by the authority, credited to the FPF and debited to that other fund—
(a)sums receivable from firefighters in respect of periods treated as reckonable by virtue of rule 4 of Part 10 (reckoning of periods of unpaid leave or unauthorised absence),
(b)sums receivable under rule 10 of Chapter 3 of Part 12 (receipt of transfer value payments),
(c)sums receivable from a Scottish or Welsh fire and rescue authority or the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Board by way of transfer value payments in respect of persons who take up employment with the authority, and
(d)amounts of the descriptions mentioned in paragraphs (2) and (3) of rule 2 of this Part.
(3) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), there shall be payable out of the FPF or, if a transfer is made from the FPF to any other fund maintained by the authority, debited to the FPF and credited to that other fund—
(a)sums payable under rule 8 of Part 3 (repayment of aggregate of employee’s contributions),
(b)awards payable under any provision of this Scheme (including the commuted portion of a pension to which rule 9 of Part 3 (commutation: general) applies); and
(c)sums payable under Chapter 2 of Part 12 by way of transfer value payments.
(4) Every amount paid or repaid to or by an authority under this Part shall be credited or, as the case may be, debited, to their FPF.
(a)references to the total amount payable out of an authority’s FPF do not include references to any amount which the Secretary of State required the authority to pay to him under any of rules 5 to 8;
(b)references to the total amount credited to the authority’s FPF do not include references to any amount which the Secretary of State pays to the authority for crediting to their FPF under any of rules 5 to 8.
Payments and transfers into Firefighters’ Pension Fund
2.—(1) Each authority shall make transfers into their FPF in accordance with the following paragraphs of this rule.
(2) In each financial year beginning with the financial year ending on 31st March 2007, each authority shall, by transfer to their FPF from any other fund maintained by them, make a contribution towards the discharge of their future liability for the payment of pensions under this Scheme.
(3) The amount of the contribution under paragraph (2) shall be such percentage of the authority’s estimate of the aggregate of the pensionable pay, as regards the year in respect of which the contribution is made, of those firefighters employed by the authority who are required to make pension contributions in that year, as shall have been determined and notified to them for that year by the Secretary of State.
(4) In respect of each firefighter employed by the authority who retires with an entitlement to immediate payment of a higher tier ill-health pension under rule 2 of Part 3, the authority shall transfer into the FPF such amount as shall be determined and notified to them by the Secretary of State as the higher tier ill-health charge applicable in respect of that pension.
(5) In respect of each firefighter employed by the authority who retires—
(a)with an entitlement to immediate payment of a lower tier ill-health pension under rule 2 of Part 3; and
(b)with no entitlement to a higher tier ill-health pension,
the authority shall transfer into the FPF such amount as shall be determined and notified to them by the Secretary of State as the lower tier ill-health charge applicable in respect of that pension.
(6) The amount to be transferred under paragraph (4) or (5) shall be transferred in three equal instalments.
(7) The first instalment shall be transferred on the date on which the employee retires.
(8) The second instalment shall be transferred on 1st April in the financial year that follows the financial year in which the first instalment was transferred.
(9) The third instalment shall be transferred on 1st April in the financial year that follows the financial year in which the second instalment was transferred.
(10) Where a pension is paid under rule 6 of Part 3 (authority-initiated early retirement), an amount equal to the difference between the amount of the pension paid and the amount that would have been paid had a pension been payable from the same date under rule 5 of that Part (member-initiated early retirement), shall be transferred to the FPF from any other fund maintained by the authority.
Transfers from Firefighters’ Pension Fund
3.—(1) Where, in consequence of a review under rule 1 of Part 9—
(a)a higher tier ill-health pension is cancelled before all the instalments of the higher tier ill-health charge in respect of that pension have been transferred in accordance with rule 2 of this Part; and
(b)a lower tier ill-health pension continues to be paid,
the amount referred to in paragraph (2) shall be transferred from the FPF to any other fund maintained by the authority.
(2) The amount is an amount equal to the difference between—
(a)the aggregate of such instalments of the higher tier ill-health charge as have been transferred in accordance with rule 2; and
(b)the aggregate amount that would have been transferred if—
(i)the lower tier ill-health charge had always applied in respect of the pension, and
(ii)instalments of that charge had been transferred on the dates on which instalments of the higher tier ill-health charge were transferred.
(3) For the purposes of ascertaining the amount to be transferred in accordance with paragraph (2), the authority concerned shall request the Secretary of State to determine the amount of the notional lower tier ill-health charge in respect of the pension concerned.
(4) Where a person declines an offer of employment under rule 2(3)(b) of Part 9 and does not again take up employment with an authority in England—
(a)paragraph (4) or (5) of rule 2 of this Part (as the case may be), shall be disregarded in his case (to the extent that it remains to be complied with); and
(b)the authority which made the offer—
(i)shall not make any transfer into the FPF in respect of him as regards any time after the date on which they receive notice that the offer has been rejected; and
(ii)shall transfer from the FPF to any other fund maintained by them an amount equal to the aggregate of the instalments that have been transferred to the FPF in respect of the pension that has been terminated.
(a)a higher tier ill-health pension or a lower tier ill-health pension is wholly and permanently withdrawn under any provision of Part 9; and
(b)the former recipient of that pension does not again take up employment with an authority in England,
paragraph (4) or (5) of rule 2 of this Part (as the case may be), shall be disregarded in his case (to the extent that it remains to be complied with); and the authority shall transfer from the FPF to any other fund maintained by them an amount equal to the aggregate of the instalments that have been transferred to the FPF in respect of the pension that has been cancelled.
4.—(1) Beginning with the financial year ending on 31st March 2007, each authority shall, in relation to each financial year, send the following information in writing to the Secretary of State —
(c)the authority’s un-audited statement of accounts for that year, prepared and approved in accordance with regulations under section 27 of the Audit Commission Act 1998(42),
(d)the authority’s statement of accounts for that year, as it is after the authority’s auditor issues his certificate and opinion, including or together with that certificate and opinion,
(2) In relation to the financial year ending on 31st March 2007, the authority shall send the information referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph (1) to the Secretary of State not later than 15th January 2007 (“the 2007 estimate”).
(3) In relation to the financial year ending on 31st March 2008—
(a)the authority shall send the information referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph (1) to the Secretary of State not later than 31st March 2007 (“the 2008 estimate”), and
(b)if the authority revise the information referred to in those sub-paragraphs after they send the estimate to the Secretary of State, may send that revised information to the Secretary of State in September 2007 (“the 2008 revised estimate”).
(4) In relation to each financial year ending on or after 31st March 2009, the authority—
(a)shall send the information referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph (1) to the Secretary of State in September in the financial year before the year in question (“the estimate”); and
(b)if the authority revise the information referred to in those sub-paragraphs after they send the estimate to the Secretary of State, may send that revised information to the Secretary of State in September during the year in question (“the revised estimate”).
(5) The authority shall send the information referred to in sub-paragraphs (c), (e) and (f) of paragraph (1) to the Secretary of State in July in the financial year following the year in question (“the un-audited information”).
(6) The authority shall send to the Secretary of State as soon as reasonably practicable after the authority’s auditor issues his certificate and opinion on the authority’s accounts for the year in question (“the audited information”)—
(a)the information referred to in sub-paragraph (d) of paragraph (1); and
(b)if the authority revise the information referred to in sub-paragraphs (e) and (f) of paragraph (1) after they have sent the un-audited information to the Secretary of State, that information as revised.
(7) For the purposes of this rule, the auditor issues his certificate and opinion when, in accordance with section 9 of the Audit Commission Act 1998(43)—
(a)he enters on the authority’s statement of accounts for the relevant year—
(i)a certificate that he has completed the audit in accordance with that Act, and
(ii)his opinion on the statement; or
(b)where he makes a report to the authority under section 8 of that Act at the conclusion of the audit, he includes the certificate and opinion referred to in sub-paragraph (a) in that report instead of making an entry on the statement.
Excess amounts: estimated deficits
5.—(1) Where, having taken into account the 2007 estimate, the 2008 estimate, the 2008 revised estimate or the estimate (as the case may be), and any other relevant information available to him, it appears to the Secretary of State that the total amount likely to be payable out of an authority’s FPF in the year in question will exceed the total amount likely to be credited to the authority’s FPF in that year, he shall pay to the authority an amount equal to 80 per cent of the likely deficit.
(2) Subject to paragraph (3), where, having taken into account any revised estimate and any other relevant information available to him, it appears to the Secretary of State that—
(a)the total amount likely to be payable out of the authority’s FPF in the year in question will exceed the total amount likely to be credited to the authority’s FPF in that year; and
(b)80 per cent of the likely deficit is more than—
(i)the amount paid or payable by him to the authority by virtue of paragraph (1) in relation to the relevant year; or
(ii)where no such amount was paid or payable by him, zero,
he may pay to the authority such amount as he thinks fit.
(3) The aggregate of the amounts paid to an authority under paragraphs (1) and (2) in relation to a particular year shall not exceed 80 per cent of the authority’s likely deficit for that year.
(4) Where the Secretary of State pays an amount to the authority under paragraph (2), any amount paid or payable to him in relation to the year in question under rule 6(1) shall not be payable and, if already paid, the Secretary of State shall repay it to the authority.
(5) An amount payable to the authority under paragraph (1) shall be paid—
(a)where the year in question ends on 31st March 2007, on or before that date;
(b)where the year in question ends on or after 31st March 2008, in July in the year in question.
(6) Any amount payable or repayable by the Secretary of State to an authority under paragraph (2) or (4) shall be paid or repaid before the end of the year in question.
Excess amounts – estimated surpluses
6.—(1) Where, having taken into account the 2007 estimate, the 2008 estimate, the 2008 revised estimate or the estimate (as the case may be), and any other relevant information available to him, it appears to the Secretary of State that the total amount likely to be credited to an authority’s FPF in the year in question will exceed the total amount likely to be payable out of their FPF in that year, he shall require the authority to pay to him an amount equal to 80 per cent of the likely surplus.
(a)the total amount likely to be credited to the authority’s FPF in the year in question will exceed the total amount likely to be payable out of the authority’s FPF in that year; and
(b)80 per cent of the difference between those total amounts is more than—
(i)the amount paid or payable by the authority to him under paragraph (1) in relation to the year in question; or
(ii)where no such amount was paid or payable by the authority, zero,
he may require the authority to pay to him such amount as he may by notice specify.
(3) The aggregate of the amounts paid to the Secretary of State under paragraphs (1) and (2) in relation to a particular year shall not exceed 80 per cent of the authority’s likely surplus for that year.
(4) Where the Secretary of State requires the authority to pay an amount to him by virtue of paragraph (2), any amount paid or payable by the Secretary of State to the authority under rule 5(1), shall not be payable and, if already paid, the authority shall repay it to the Secretary of State.
(5) The Secretary of State shall give to the authority, on or before 3rd March in the year in question, written notice of the amount of any payment that he requires the authority to make under paragraph (1) or (2).
(6) An amount payable or repayable by the authority to the Secretary of State under paragraph (1), (2) or (4) shall be paid or repaid in March in the year in question.
Excess amounts – actual deficits
7.—(1) Where, having taken into account the un-audited information and any other relevant information available to him, it appears to the Secretary of State that the total amount likely to be payable out of an authority’s FPF in the year in question exceeds the total amount likely to be credited to the authority’s FPF in that year—
(a)where the likely deficit (“the un-audited deficit”) exceeds the total of any amounts paid or payable to the authority in relation to that year under rule 5(1) or (2) (“the rule 5 total”), he shall pay to the authority the amount of the un-audited deficit less the rule 5 total;
(b)where the un-audited deficit is less than the rule 5 total, the amount of the rule 5 total less the un-audited deficit shall not be payable under rule 5(1) or (2) and, if already paid, the authority shall repay that amount to the Secretary of State;
(c)where no amount was paid or payable by him to the authority in relation to the year in question under rule 5(1) or (2), he shall pay to the authority the amount of the un-audited deficit; and
(d)any amount paid or payable to him in relation to that year under rule 6(1) or (2), shall not be payable and, if already paid, the Secretary of State shall repay it to the authority.
(2) Where, having taken into account the audited information and any other relevant information available to him, it appears to the Secretary of State that the total amount paid or payable out of an authority’s FPF in the year in question exceeds the total amount credited to their FPF in that year—
(a)where the difference between those total amounts (“the audited deficit”) exceeds the total of any amounts paid (but not repaid or repayable) or payable to the authority in relation to that year under paragraph (1)(a) or (c) or rule 5(1) or (2) (“the un-audited total”), he shall pay to the authority the amount of the audited deficit less the un-audited total;
(b)where the audited deficit is less than the un-audited total, the amount of the un-audited total less the audited deficit shall not be payable under paragraph (1)(a) or (c) or rule 5(1) or (2) and, if already paid, the authority shall repay it to the Secretary of State;
(c)where no amount was paid or payable by him to the authority in relation to the year in question under paragraph (1)(a) or (c) or rule 5(1) or (2), he shall pay to the authority the amount of the audited deficit; and
(d)any amount paid or payable to him in relation to the year in question under rule 6(1) or (2) or rule 8(1)(a) or (c), shall not be payable and, if already paid, the Secretary of State shall repay it to the authority.
(3) An amount payable or repayable by the Secretary of State to an authority, or vice versa, under paragraph (1), shall be paid or repaid in July in the financial year following the year in question (“the second year”).
(4) An amount payable or repayable by the Secretary of State to an authority, or vice versa, under paragraph (2), shall be paid or repaid in July in the financial year following the second year.
Excess amounts – actual surpluses
8.—(1) Where, having taken into account the un-audited information and any other relevant information available to him, it appears to the Secretary of State that the total amount credited to an authority’s FPF in the year in question exceeds the total amount paid out of the authority’s FPF in that year—
(a)where the difference between those total amounts (“the un-audited surplus”) exceeds the total of any amounts paid or payable to him by the authority in relation to that year under rule 6(1) or (2) (“the rule 6 total”), he shall require the authority to pay to him the amount of the un-audited surplus less the rule 6 total;
(b)where the un-audited surplus is less than the rule 6 total, the amount of the rule 6 total less the un-audited surplus shall not be payable under rule 6(1) or (2) and, if already paid, the Secretary of State shall repay it to the authority;
(c)where no amount was paid or payable to him by the authority in relation to the year in question under rule 6(1) or (2), he shall require the authority to pay to him the amount of the un-audited surplus; and
(d)any amount paid or payable by him to the authority in relation to that year under rule 5(1) or (2), shall not be payable and, if already paid, the authority shall repay it to the Secretary of State.
(2) Where, having taken into account the audited information and any other relevant information available to him, it appears to the Secretary of State that the total amount credited to an authority’s FPF in the year in question exceeds the total amount payable out of the authority’s FPF in that year—
(a)where the difference between those total amounts (“the audited surplus”) exceeds the total of any amounts paid (but not repaid or repayable) or payable to him by the authority in relation to that year under paragraph (1)(a) or (c) or rule 6(1) or (2) (“the un-audited rule 6 total”), he shall require the authority to pay to him out of their FPF the amount of the audited surplus less the un-audited rule 6 total;
(b)where the audited surplus is less than the un-audited rule 6 total, the amount of the un-audited rule 6 total less the audited surplus shall not be payable under paragraph (1)(a) or (c) or rule 6(1) or (2) and, if already paid, the Secretary of State shall repay it to the authority;
(c)where no amount was paid or payable to him by the authority in relation to the year in question under paragraph (1)(a) or (c) or rule 6(1) or (2), he shall require the authority to pay to him the amount of the audited surplus; and
(d)any amount paid or payable by him to the authority in relation to that year under rule 5(1) or (2) or rule 7(1)(a) or (c) shall not be payable and, if already paid, the authority shall repay it to the Secretary of State.
(3) The Secretary of State shall give to the authority, on or before 3rd July in the financial year after the year in question (“the second year”), written notice of the amount of the payment that he requires the authority to make under paragraph (1)(a) or (c).
(4) An amount payable or repayable by the authority to the Secretary of State, or vice versa, under paragraph (1), shall be paid or repaid in July in the second year.
(5) The Secretary of State shall give to the authority, on or before 3rd July in the financial year that is the second financial year after the year in question (“the third year”), written notice of the amount of any payment that he requires the authority to make under paragraph (2)(a) or (c).
(6) An amount payable or repayable by the authority to the Secretary of State, or vice versa, by virtue of paragraph (2), shall be paid or repaid in July in the third year.
9.—(1) An authority shall provide the Secretary of State with such information relevant to the exercise of his functions under this Part as he may, by written notice to the authority, require.
(2) An authority shall respond to a request under paragraph (1) within such period as the Secretary of State shall specify in his notice under that paragraph, or such longer period as he may in any particular case allow.
10. An authority shall have regard to such guidance as may be issued by the Secretary of State from time to time for the purposes of this Part.
PART 14PAYMENT OF AWARDS
1.—(1) An award payable to or in respect of a person by reason of his having been employed as a regular firefighter is payable by the authority by whom he was last so employed.
(2) An award payable under Part 6 (pension-sharing on divorce) to or in respect of a pension credit member, and any sum paid in commutation of such an award, is payable by the authority which employed the pension debit member from whose rights the pension credit member’s award is derived when the pension sharing order took effect.
Deduction of tax and lifetime allowance charges
2. Where any payment that an authority are required to make under this Scheme is chargeable to tax or subject to a lifetime allowance charge under the Finance Act 2004(44), they shall deduct the amount of tax charged or to be recovered from the payment.
3.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), while an award is payable under this Scheme it shall be paid monthly in arrears.
(a)delay payment, in whole or part, to the extent necessary for determining any question as to their liability; and.
(b)where they are of the opinion that, by reason of the amount of the award, its payment monthly in arrears would be impracticable, discharge their liability in respect of it by making payments at such reasonable intervals as they think fit.
(3) Lump sums under Part 5 and, subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), pensions under Part 4 are payable from the day after the date of the death.
(4) A pension under Part 4 in respect of a posthumous child is payable from the date of his birth.
(a)the authority are not informed of the death of a pensioner; and
(b)a pension to which he was entitled has continued in payment,
the authority may recover all or part of the overpayment, as they think fit; and may recover it by set-off against any other award payable under this Scheme in respect of the deceased.
(6) Where a person is entitled under rule 8 of Part 3 to the repayment of his aggregate pension contributions, the authority are not obliged to make payment—
(a)until the expiration of a year from the date of his retirement, or
(b)until he requests payment,
Pensions under more than one contract of employment
4. Where a person is a member of this Scheme in respect of more than one contract of employment (whether with the same or different authorities), each employment shall be treated separately for pension purposes.
5.—(1) Any sum payable to a minor in respect of an award may, if the authority think fit, be paid to such other person as they may determine, who shall, in accordance with any directions given by the authority, apply it for the minor’s benefit.
(2) If it appears to the authority that a person entitled to payment of an award is, by reason of mental disorder or otherwise, incapable of managing his affairs—
(b)insofar as they do not pay the award in that manner, they may apply it in such manner as they think fit for the benefit of the person entitled or his dependants.
6.—(1) On the death of a person to whom there was due, in respect of an award, a sum not exceeding the amount specified in any order for the time being in force under section 6 of the Administration of Estates (Small Payments) Act 1965(45), the authority may, without requiring the production of probate or any other proof of entitlement—
(4) Subject to paragraphs (5) and (6), where as a result of fraud, theft or negligence on the part of a firefighter in connection with his employment, there has been a loss to the funds of an authority, the authority may withhold all or part of any sums becoming due to him from the authority in respect of an award.
(6) There shall not in any case be withheld any part of a sum due that is not attributable to service as an employee of an authority.
(7) Where an amount is withheld under paragraph (4), the authority shall provide the person entitled to the award with a certificate showing the amount withheld.
1.—(1) Subject to paragraph (8), paragraphs (2) to (5) of this rule apply where a member has an entitlement to a guaranteed minimum pension under section 14 of the 1993 Act (his “guaranteed minimum”).
(2) If, apart from this rule—
(a)he is still in employment which entitles him to be a member of this Scheme (“scheme employment”)”; or
(a)continues in employment for a further period of five years after reaching state pensionable age, and
he is entitled from the end of that period to so much of his pension under this rule as equals his guaranteed minimum, unless he consents to a further postponement of the entitlement.
(5) Where paragraph (3) or (4) applies, the amount of the pension to which he is entitled under this rule shall be increased in accordance with section 15 of the 1993 Act.
(a)all his rights to benefits under the Scheme, except his rights in respect of his guaranteed minimum or his rights under section 9(2B) of the 1993 Act(46) (“his contracting-out rights”), have been transferred under Part 12, or
(a)from the date on which the person reaches state pensionable age, he is entitled to a pension payable for life at a weekly rate equal to his guaranteed minimum, and
(b)from the date on which he reaches normal retirement age he is entitled to a lump sum and pension in respect of his rights under section 9(2B) of the 1993 Act,
(8) This rule does not apply if—
(a)any part of the person’s pension is withdrawn permanently under rule 5 of Part 9 following his conviction of an offence of a description specified in paragraph (3) of that rule (treason and certain offences under the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1989); or
(b)the pension is commuted under rule 10 of Part 3 (commutation: small pensions).
(a)any part of the firefighter member’s pension has been withdrawn permanently under rule 5 of Part 9 following his conviction of an offence of a description specified in paragraph (3) of that rule (treason and certain offences under the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1989);
(2) A notice under paragraph (1) shall specify the date by which the supporting evidence is to be provided.
4.—(1) An authority shall issue an annual benefit statement to each of their firefighter, deferred and pension credit members.
(2) The first such statements must be issued on or before 1st April 2007, and subsequent statements must be issued on or before each 1st April thereafter.
(a)has been accrued by the member at the relevant date, and
(c)in the case of a pension credit member, in accordance with rule 1 of Part 6, as if he were to become entitled to the pension on his 65th birthday.
(5) For the purposes of this rule, the relevant date—
(b)in any other case, is 31st March of the period in respect of which the statement is issued, or such later date as the authority may choose.
Death of retained or volunteer firefighter before Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England) Order 2006 in force
5.—(1) This rule applies where a retained or volunteer firefighter dies on or after 6th April 2006 and before the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England) Order 2006 comes into force.
(2) Chapters 1 and 2 of Part 4 of this Scheme (survivors’ pensions), rule 1 of Part 5 of this Scheme (death grant) and rule 3 of Part 11 (pension contributions) shall have effect in respect of him as if—
(i)where he was employed by an authority immediately before 6th April 2006, on that date,
(ii)in any other case, on the date on which he took up employment with the authority;
(i)the date on which he took up employment, and
(a)in anticipation of the coming into force of this Scheme, he nominated a nominated partner, and
(b)the nomination was received and accepted by the authority before he died.
(4) The authority shall deduct from the death grant payable by virtue of paragraph (2) the amount of the pension contributions that would have been payable under rule 3 of Part 11; and rule 1 of that Part shall have effect for determining his pensionable pay for that purpose.
(5) The authority shall notify the personal representatives of the amount deducted.
6.—(1) This rule applies where a retained or volunteer firefighter employed by an authority immediately before 6th April 2006 dies on or before 31st March 2007 without having made an election as to membership of this Scheme.
(b)the nomination was received and accepted by the authority before he died,
Part 3, rule 2
ANNEX 1ILL–HEALTH PENSIONS
1.—(1) Except in a case to which sub-paragraph (2) applies, the annual amount of the lower tier ill–health pension to which a person is entitled on ill–health retirement shall be calculated by multiplying his pensionable service by his final pensionable pay and dividing the resultant amount by 60.
(2) Where a person is subject to ill–health retirement, the annual amount of his lower tier ill–health pension shall be calculated by multiplying his pensionable service by his reference pay and dividing the resultant amount by 60.
(3) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (2), the pensionable service of a retained firefighter is the same proportion of whole-time service as that which his actual annual pensionable pay bears to his reference pay.
2. The annual amount of the higher tier ill–health pension of a whole-time firefighter shall be calculated in accordance with the formula—
A is the pensionable service accrued in the Scheme before his ill–health retirement,
the pensionable service that he would have accrued from the date of his ill–health retirement until his normal retirement age had he continued to be a contributing member of the Scheme (his “prospective service”); or
if the aggregate of his actual pensionable service and his prospective service is more than 40 years, the difference between 40 years and his actual pensionable service, and
C is his final pensionable pay.
3. The annual amount of the higher tier ill–health pension of a member who—
(a)is or has been a part-time employee, or
(b)is a retained or volunteer firefighter,
shall be calculated in accordance with the formula—
B is his qualifying service,
C is the pensionable service that he would have accrued from the date of his ill–health retirement until his normal retirement age had he continued to be a contributing member of the Scheme as a whole-time employee, and
in the case of a part-time firefighter, is the final pensionable pay that he would have received if he had been a whole-time employee throughout his period of employment;
in the case of a retained or volunteer firefighter, is his final reference pay.
Part 8, rule 4
ANNEX 2APPEALS TO BOARD OF MEDICAL REFEREES
1.—(1) Subject to sub–paragraph (2), written notice of appeal against a decision on an issue of a medical nature stating—
must be given to the authority within 28 days of the date on which the appellant receives the documents referred to in rule 4(4) of Part 8; and where the appellant receives those documents on different dates, they shall be treated for this purpose as received on the later or latest of those dates.
(b)the authority are of the opinion that the person’s failure to give it within that period was not due to his own default,
they may extend the period for giving notice to such length, not exceeding six months from the date mentioned in sub–paragraph (1), as they think fit.
2.—(1) On receiving a notice of appeal, the authority shall supply the Secretary of State with three copies of—
(2) The Secretary of State shall refer an appeal to a board of medical referees (“the board”).
3.—(1) The board shall consist of not less than three medical practitioners appointed by, or in accordance with arrangements made by, the Secretary of State.
(4) Where there is an equality of votes among the members of the board, the chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
4.—(1) As soon as reasonably practicable after referring an appeal to the board, the Secretary of State shall supply the board’s administrator with three copies of every document supplied under paragraph 2(1).
(a)of any other information which the reviewing member considers would be desirable for the purpose of enabling the board to determine the appeal, and
(b)if it be the case, that it is his opinion that the board may regard the appeal as frivolous, vexatious or manifestly ill–founded.
(b)where the notice contains an opinion of the description mentioned in sub–paragraph (3)(b), send a copy of it to the authority.
(6) An authority which notifies an appellant under sub–paragraph (5)(b) shall inform the Secretary of State of the appellant’s response to their request under paragraph (b)(ii); and the Secretary of State shall notify the board accordingly.
5. Where an appeal is to be pursued, the board shall secure that the appellant and the authority (“the parties”) have been informed—
(a)that the appeal is to be determined by the board, and
6.—(1) Subject to sub–paragraph (4), the board—
(b)may interview or medically examine him or cause him to be interviewed or medically examined on such further occasions as the board thinks necessary for the purpose of determining the appeal.
(2) The board shall appoint, and give the parties not less than two months’ notice of, the time and place for every interview and medical examination; and if the board is satisfied that the appellant is unable to travel, the place shall be the appellant’s place of residence.
(a)the appellant fails to comply with sub–paragraph (3), and
the board may dispense with the interview and medical examination required by paragraph (1)(a) or, as the case may be, with any further interview or medical examination, and may determine the appeal on such information as is then available.
(5) Any interview under this paragraph may be attended by persons appointed for the purpose by the authority or by the appellant or by each of them.
7.—(1) Where either party intends to submit written evidence or a written statement at an interview held under paragraph 6, the party shall, subject to sub–paragraph (2), submit the evidence or statement to the board and to the other party not less than 28 days before the date appointed for the interview.
(2) Where any written evidence or statement has been submitted under sub–paragraph (1) less than 28 days before the date appointed for the interview, any written evidence or statement in response may be submitted by the other party to the board and the party submitting the first–mentioned evidence or statement at any time up to, and including, that date.
(3) Where any written evidence or statement is submitted in contravention of sub–paragraph (1), the board may postpone the date appointed for the interview and require the party who submitted the evidence or statement to pay such reasonable costs of the board and of the other party as arise from the postponement.
8.—(1) The board shall supply the Secretary of State with—
(a)a written report of its decision on the relevant medical issues, and
(b)if the board is of the opinion that the appeal was frivolous, vexatious or manifestly ill-founded, a statement to that effect (which may form part of the report).
(2) The Secretary of State shall supply the parties with a copy of the report and of any separate statement under paragraph (1)(b).
9.—(1) There shall be paid to the board and the reviewing member—
(a)such fees and allowances (including those payable to the reviewing member for work undertaken on the review of documents under paragraph 4(2)) as are determined in accordance with arrangements made by the Secretary of State, or
(b)where no such arrangements have been made, such fees and allowances as the Secretary of State may from time to time determine.
(2) The fees and allowances payable under sub-paragraph (1) shall—
(a)be paid by the authority, and
(b)be treated for the purposes of paragraph 10 as part of the authority’s expenses.
10.—(1) Subject to paragraph 7(3) and sub–paragraphs (2) to (5) below, the expenses of each party to the appeal shall be borne by that party.
(a)determines an appeal in favour of the authority, and
(b)states that, in its opinion, the appeal was frivolous, vexatious or manifestly ill-founded,
the authority may require the appellant to pay them such sum, not exceeding the total amount of the fees and allowances payable to the board under paragraph 9(1), as the authority think fit.
(a)the appellant gives notice to the board withdrawing the appeal, and
(b)the notice is given less than 22 working days before the date appointed for an interview or medical examination under paragraph 6(2),
(a)determines an appeal in favour of the appellant, and
the authority shall refund to the appellant the amount specified in sub–paragraph (5).
(a)any personal expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the appellant in respect of any interview under paragraph 6, and
(6) For the purposes of sub–paragraphs (2) and (4) any question arising as to whether the board’s determination is in favour of the authority or of the appellant shall be decided by the board or, in default, by the Secretary of State.
11. Any notice, information or document which an appellant is entitled to receive for any purpose of this Annex shall, unless the contrary is proved, be treated as having been received by him if it was posted in a letter addressed to him at his last known place of residence.
See Schedule 2 to S.I.1992/129. The Scheme was made under section 26 of the Fire Services Act 1947 (c.41). It was renamed the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme, and continued in force, on the repeal of the 1947 Act by section 52 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, by article 3 of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (England and Scotland) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1912).
1996 c.18. Sections 75A and 75B were inserted by section 3 of the Employment Act 2002 (c.22).
S.I. 2006/1811.
1993 c.48. As to “guaranteed minimum pension” see section 8(2).
The Faculty of Occupational Medicine is a registered charity no. 1035415
S.I. 2003/250, to which there is an amendment not relevant to this Order.
1996 c.18; sections 71 and 73 were substituted by section 7 of, and Part 1 of Schedule 4 to, the Employment Relations Act 1999 (c.26) and amended by section 17 of the Employment Act 2002 (c.22).
Section 101B was inserted by section 37 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 (c.30).
The document is accessible at http://www/lge.gov.uk/conditions/firefighters/content/documents/fire service rolemaps.pdf.
1995 c.26. See section 126 of that Act.
2004 c.12. See also Schedule 36 to the Finance Act 2004, amended by the Finance Act 2005 (c.7), Schedule 10.
See rule 3 of Part 1.
As to “the lump sum rule”, see section 166 of the Finance Act 2004 (c.12). As to the commutation limit, see paragraph 7(4) of Part 1 of Schedule 29 to that Act.
S.I. 2000/1054, amended by S.I. 2000/2691.
1980 c.9.
1995 c.26. The arrangements that apply for the purposes of the Scheme take the form of a disputes resolution procedure. The procedure is set out in Fire Service Circular 2/1997 issued by the Home Office on 4 February 1997.
S.I. 1996/1270.
See section 93(1)(a) of the Pension Schemes Act 1993 (c.48).
1985 c. 6; section 736 was substituted for section 736 as originally enacted by section 144(1) of the Companies Act 1989 (c. 40).
See section 169(2) of the Finance Act 2004 (c.12).
S.I. 1996/2788.
See Part LA of the 1992 Scheme, inserted by S.I. 2006/1810.
1998 c. 18. See regulations 7 and 10 of the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/533, amended by 2004/556 and 2006/564).
Subsection (2B) was inserted by section 136(3) of the Pensions Act 1995 (c.26).