The Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999

Interpretation of Chapter I N.I.

43.—(1) In this Chapter—

• “implementation period”, in relation to a pension credit, has the meaning given by Article 31;

• “occupational pension scheme” has the meaning given by section 1 of the Pension Schemes Act;

• “pension arrangement” means—

  (a)

  an occupational pension scheme,

  (b)

  a personal pension scheme,

  (c)

  a retirement annuity contract,

  (d)

  an annuity or insurance policy purchased, or transferred, for the purpose of giving effect to rights under an occupational pension scheme or a personal pension scheme, and

  (e)

  an annuity purchased, or entered into, for the purpose of discharging liability in respect of a credit under Article 26(1)(b) or under section 29(1)(b) of the Welfare Reform Act;

• “pension credit” means a credit under Article 26(1)(b);

• “pension debit” means a debit under Article 26(1)(a);

• “pensionable service”, in relation to a member of an occupational pension scheme, means service in any descriptionF1 or category of employment to which the scheme relates which qualifies the member (on the assumption that it continues for the appropriate period) for pension or other benefits under the scheme;

• “personal pension scheme” has the meaning given by section 1 of the Pension Schemes Act;

• [F2 “retirement annuity contract” means an annuity contract or trust scheme approved under section 620 or 621 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 or a substituted contract within the meaning of section 622(3) of that Act which became a registered pension scheme by virtue of paragraph 1(1)(f) of Schedule 36 to the Finance Act 2004,]

• “shareable rights” has the meaning given by Article 24(2);

• “trustees or managers”, in relation to an occupational pension scheme or a personal pension scheme means—

  (a)

  in the case of a scheme established under a trust, the trustees of the scheme, and

  (b)

  in any other case, the managers of the scheme.

(2) In this Chapter, references to the person responsible for a pension arrangement are—

(a) in the case of an occupational pension scheme or a personal pension scheme, to the trustees or managers of the scheme,

(b) in the case of a retirement annuity contract or an annuity falling within paragraph (d) or (e) of the definition of “pension arrangement” in paragraph (1), to the provider of the annuity, and

(c) in the case of an insurance policy falling within paragraph (d) of the definition of that expression, to the insurer.

(3) In determining what is “pensionable service” for the purposes of this Chapter—

(a) service notionally attributable for any purpose of the scheme is to be disregarded, and

(b) no account is to be taken of any rules of the scheme by which a period of service can be treated for any purpose as being longer or shorter than it actually is.

F1 prosp. rep. by 2005 NI 1

F2 Art. 43(1): definition of "retirement annuity contract" substituted (6.4.2006) by Taxation of Pension Schemes (Consequential Amendments) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/745), art. 16(4)