The Pensions Increase (Review) Order 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

Under section 59 of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 as amended, and as modified by section 59A of that Act, the Treasury (in whom the functions conferred by those provisions are now vested) are required to provide by order for the increase in the rates of public service pensions. Under section 59(7) of the 1975 Act, section 59 of that Act has effect as if it were contained in the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971. Section 9(2)(c) of the 1971 Act provides that references to the “rate” of pension shall have effect as references also to the amount of a lump sum benefit. The increase is the percentage (or in some circumstances a fraction of the percentage) by which the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has, by direction given under the provisions of section 151(1) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992, increased the sums referred to in section 150(1)(c) of that Act. These are the sums which are the additional pensions in long term benefits, namely the additional pension entitlements accruing to employees in respect of earnings after 5th April 1978.

For pensions which began before 8th April 2002 the increase is 1.7 per cent. For pensions which began on or after 8th April 2002 the increases are as follows—

Pensions beginning	Percentage increase	Pensions beginning	Percentage increase
8th April 2002 to 22nd April 2002	1.7%	23rd September 2002 to 22nd October 2002	0.85%
23rd April 2002 to 22nd May 2002	1.56%	23rd October 2002 to 22nd November 2002	0.71%
23rd May 2002 to 22nd June 2002	1.42%	23rd November 2002 to 22nd December 2002	0.57%
23rd June 2002 to 22nd July 2002	1.28%	23rd December 2002 to 22nd January 2003	0.43%
23rd July 2002 to 22nd August 2002	1.13%	23rd January 2003 to 22nd February 2003	0.28%
23rd August 2002 to 22nd September 2002	0.99%	23rd February 2003 to 22nd March 2003	0.14%

Article 4 of the Order provides for increases on certain deferred lumps sums which became payable on or after 8th April 2002 and before 7th April 2003.

The Order also makes provision for the amount by reference to which any increase in the rate of an official pension is to be calculated to be reduced by the amount equal to the rate of the guaranteed minimum pension entitlement deriving from the employment which gives rise to the official pension. This is required by section 59(5) of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975. However, by virtue of section 59A of that Act and the Transfer of Functions (Minister for the Civil Service and Treasury) Order 1981 the Treasury are empowered to direct that in respect of specified cases or classes of case either no such reduction be made or the reduction shall be less than the rate of the guaranteed minimum pension. Section 59(5ZA) was inserted into section 59 by section 5 of the Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1990. This applies section 59(5) to a widow’s or widower’s pension.