The Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Pensions Ombudsman) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

1996 No. 207

PENSIONS

The Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Pensions Ombudsman) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Made

20th May 1996

Coming into operation

1st July 1996

The Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by section 142(4)(b) of the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993(1) and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Pensions Ombudsman) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 and shall come into operation on 1st July 1996.

(2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(2) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to a Measure of the Assembly.

Amendment of the Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Pensions Ombudsman) Regulations

2.  After regulation 2 of the Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Pensions Ombudsman) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991(3), there shall be inserted the following regulation—

“Extension of Pensions Ombudsman’s jurisdiction to scheme administrators

2A.— (1) The Pensions Ombudsman may investigate and determine any complaint in relation to the administration of a scheme, involving an authorised complainant and the administrator of the scheme.

(2) Where the Pensions Ombudsman commences an investigation under paragraph (1), the provisions of Part X of the Act (investigations: the Pensions Ombudsman) shall apply in relation to the administrator as they apply in relation to the trustees or managers of the scheme.

(3) In this regulation—

“administrator” means any person, other than the trustees or managers of a scheme or the employer to which the scheme relates or has related, concerned with the administration of the scheme;

“scheme” means a personal or an occupational pension scheme.”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland on

L.S.

W. G. Purdy

Assistant Secretary

20th May 1996.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations further amend the Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Pensions Ombudsman) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991 by inserting a new regulation (regulation 2A) which extends the jurisdiction of the Pensions Ombudsman to include complaints against scheme administrators.

(1)

1993 c. 49

(2)

1954 c. 33 (N.I.)

(3)

S.R. 1991 No. 93; amended by S.R. 1994 No. 300