The Pension Protection Fund (Waiver of Pension Protection Levy and Consequential Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007

Waiver of pension protection levy

Waiver of pension protection levy

3.—(1) In respect of any financial year the Board may, in the circumstances specified in any paragraph of regulation 4, waive the amount payable by way of either or both—

(a) the risk-based pension protection levy imposed in respect of a scheme;

(b) the scheme-based pension protection levy imposed in respect of a scheme.

(2) Paragraph (1) is subject to the restrictions specified in regulations 6 and 7.

(3) A waiver may be granted under paragraph (1)—

(a) in the case of a scheme falling within regulation 4(1), either on an application under regulation 5 or of the Board’s own initiative;

(b) in any other case, only on an application under regulation 5.

(4) Where the Board receives an application for the grant of a waiver in respect of a scheme , it must determine the application as soon as reasonably practicable and—

(a) if it grants the waiver, it must issue a notice of it and give a copy of the notice to the trustees or managers of the scheme, or

(b) if it refuses to grant the waiver, it must give the trustees or managers of the scheme notice of the refusal.

(5) A notice under paragraph (4) must be in writing and, in the case of a refusal to grant the waiver, must state the Board’s reasons.

(6) The Board may request such additional information from the applicant as it reasonably requires for the purpose of making a determination under paragraph (4).

Circumstances in which pension protection levy may be waived

4.—(1) The circumstances specified in this paragraph are that—

(a) immediately before 6th April 2006, the scheme was a former approved superannuation fund within the meaning of paragraph 1(1)(b) of Schedule 36 to the Finance Act 2004(1) (deemed registration of existing schemes), and

(b) the proposed waiver relates to the amount payable by way of any pension protection levy which was imposed for the financial year beginning on 1st April 2006.

(2) The circumstances specified in this paragraph are that the scheme is authorised under Article 137 of the Order (closed schemes) to continue as a closed scheme.

(3) The circumstances specified in this paragraph are that the Board is satisfied in respect of the scheme that—

(a) no further contributions will be paid towards the scheme by or on behalf of members in respect of relevant benefits, and

(b) all relevant benefits which are payable in accordance with each member’s entitlement or accrued rights (including pension credit rights within the meaning of Article 121(1)(2) of the 1995 Order) under the scheme rules will be provided in full by a policy of insurance or an annuity contract, or by more than one such policy or contract.

(4) The circumstances specified in this paragraph are that—

(a) the scheme has no active members;

(b) a liquidator has been appointed for the purposes of a voluntary winding up of the company which, immediately before the time at which the scheme ceased to have any active members, was the employer of persons in relevant employment;

(c) the liquidator has sent to the registrar of companies his final account and return under Article 80 of the Insolvency Order (final meeting prior to dissolution), and

(d) it appears to the Board that it is reasonable to expect that the dissolution of the company will take effect on or before 31st December of the financial year to which the proposed waiver relates (but see regulation 7).

Application for waiver of pension protection levy

5.—(1) The trustees or managers of a scheme may apply to the Board for it to grant a waiver under regulation 3 of the amount payable by way of any pension protection levy in respect of the scheme.

(2) An application under this regulation must be made—

(a) before the end of the period of 28 days commencing with the notification date specified in paragraph (3), and

(b) in such manner as the Board may direct.

(3) The notification date specified in this paragraph is—

(a) the date on which the person liable to pay the levy is notified under Article 164(3)(c) of the Order (notification of amount of levy and date or dates on which it becomes payable), or

(b) if more than one date is notified for payment to be made in instalments, the earliest such date.

Restrictions as to grant of waiver

6.—(1) This regulation applies where an application is made for the grant of a waiver under regulation 3 in respect of a financial year.

(2) No waiver may be granted in respect of the amount payable in respect of a scheme by way of—

(a) the risk-based pension protection levy, if the amount payable by way of that levy in respect of the scheme has already been paid;

(b) the scheme-based pension protection levy, if the amount payable by way of that levy in respect of the scheme has already been paid.

(3) In the case of a scheme falling within regulation 4(3), no waiver may be granted in respect of the amount payable by way of the scheme-based pension protection levy unless, in addition to the circumstances specified in regulation 4(3), the Board is also satisfied that there are insufficient unallocated assets in the scheme to meet its liabilities in respect of the payment of that levy in full.

Waiver cancelled in the event of non-dissolution of a company in voluntary winding up

7.—(1) This regulation applies where a waiver is granted under regulation 3 in respect of a financial year to a scheme falling within regulation 4(4).

(2) The date on which the waiver takes effect is postponed until the Board is satisfied that the company being wound up has been dissolved on or before 31st December of the financial year in question.

(3) Where the Board is not satisfied that the requirements of paragraph (2) have been met, the waiver is cancelled and the Board must re-notify the trustees or managers of the scheme of the amount of the pension protection levy in respect of the scheme, stating the date or dates on which that amount is now payable.

(1)

2004 c. 12; paragraph 1 of Schedule 36 makes provision for the deemed registration, with effect from 6th April 2006, of certain schemes or funds for tax purposes under Chapter 2 of Part 4

(2)

The definition of “pension credit rights” was inserted by paragraph 50(3) of Schedule 9 to the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11))