Pensions (No. 2) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008

15.  After Part 3 of Schedule 15 (pension sharing orders on or after dissolution or nullity order) insert—

“PART 3A PENSION COMPENSATION SHARING ORDERS ON OR AFTER DISSOLUTION OR NULLITY ORDER

Circumstances in which pension compensation sharing orders may be made

14A.— (1) The court may make a pension compensation sharing order—

(a) on making a dissolution or nullity order, or

(b) at any time afterwards.

(2) In this Schedule “pension compensation sharing order” means a pension compensation sharing order under this Part.

Pension compensation sharing orders

14B.— (1) A pension compensation sharing order is an order which—

(a) provides that one civil partner’s shareable rights to PPF compensation that derive from rights under a specified pension scheme are to be subject to pension compensation sharing for the benefit of the other civil partner, and

(b) specifies the percentage value to be transferred.

(2) Shareable rights to PPF compensation are rights in relation to which pension compensation sharing is available under—

(a) Chapter 1 of Part 3 of the Pensions (No. 2) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008, or

(b) Chapter 1 of Part 3 of the Pensions Act 2008.

(3) In sub-paragraph (1) “specified” means specified in the order.

Pension compensation sharing orders: apportionment of charges

14C.   The court may include in a pension compensation sharing order provision about the apportionment between the civil partners of any charge under—

(a) section 95 of the Pensions (No. 2) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (charges in respect of pension compensation sharing costs), or

(b) section 117 of the Pensions Act 2008.

Restrictions on making pension compensation sharing orders

14D.— (1) A pension compensation sharing order may not be made in relation to rights to PPF compensation that—

(a) are the subject of pension attachment,

(b) derive from rights under a pension scheme that were the subject of pension sharing between the civil partners,

(c) are the subject of pension compensation attachment, or

(d) are or have been the subject of pension compensation sharing between the civil partners.

(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(a), rights to PPF compensation “are the subject of pension attachment” if any of the following three conditions is met.

(3) The first condition is that—

(a) the rights derive from rights under a pension scheme in relation to which an order was made under Part 1 imposing a requirement by virtue of paragraph 20(2), and

(b) that order, as modified under paragraph 26, remains in force.

(4) The second condition is that—

(a) the rights derive from rights under a pension scheme in relation to which an order was made under Part 1 imposing a requirement by virtue of paragraph 20(5), and

(b) that order—

(i) has been complied with, or

(ii) has not been complied with and, as modified under paragraph 27, remains in force.

(5) The third condition is that—

(a) the rights derive from rights under a pension scheme in relation to which an order was made under Part 1 imposing a requirement by virtue of paragraph 21, and

(b) that order remains in force.

(6) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(b), rights under a pension scheme “were the subject of pension sharing between the civil partners” if the rights were at any time the subject of a pension sharing order in relation to the civil partnership or a previous civil partnership between the same parties.

(7) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(c), rights to PPF compensation “are the subject of pension compensation attachment” if there is in force a requirement imposed by virtue of Part 5 relating to them.

(8) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(d), rights to PPF compensation “are or have been the subject of pension compensation sharing between the civil partners” if they are or have ever been the subject of a pension compensation sharing order in relation to the civil partnership or a previous civil partnership between the same parties.

When pension compensation sharing orders may take effect

14E.— (1) A pension compensation sharing order is not to take effect unless the dissolution or nullity order on or after which it is made has been made final.

(2) No pension compensation sharing order may be made so as to take effect before the end of such period after the making of the order as may be prescribed by regulations made by the Lord Chancellor.

(3) The power to make regulations under sub-paragraph (2) is exercisable by statutory rule for the purposes of the Statutory Rules (Northern Ireland) Order 1979.

(4) Regulations under sub-paragraph (2) are subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament in the same manner as a statutory instrument; and section 5 of the Statutory Instruments Act 1946 applies accordingly.

Interpretation

14F.   In this Schedule—

“PPF compensation” means compensation payable under the pension compensation provisions;

“the pension compensation provisions” means—

(a)

Chapter 3 of Part 3 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (pension protection) and any regulations or order made under it,

(b)

Chapter 1 of Part 3 of the Pensions (No. 2) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (pension compensation sharing) and any regulations or order made under it, and

(c)

any provision corresponding to the provisions mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) in force in Great Britain.”.