The New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 2007

Continuity of employment

43.—(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) subject to paragraph (2), for the purposes of his pensionable service under Part 10, employed by the Board.

(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 have been paid (whether during his forces period or, if the Board has agreed that contributions may be discontinued as mentioned in paragraph (2) of article 68 (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 article 63—

(a) the pay that he would have received from the Board 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).