Pensions Increase (Review) Order (Northern Ireland) 1997

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order.)

Under Article 69 of the Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975 as amended, and as modified by Article 69A of the Order of 1975, the Department of Finance and Personnel is required to provide by Order for increases in the rates of public service pensions.

The increase to be made in the rates of such pensions is the percentage (or in some circumstances a fraction of the percentage) by which the Department of Health and Social Services has, by virtue of the provisions of section 132 of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, increased the sums which are the additional pensions in long-term benefits, namely the additional pension entitlements accruing to employees in respect of their earnings after 5th April 1978.

For pensions which began before 8th April 1996 the increase is 2·1%.

For pensions which began on or after 8th April 1996 the increases are computed under the formula set out in Article 69(1)(b) of the Order of 1975 and are as follows:—

Pensions Beginning	Percentage Increase
8th April 1996 to 22nd April 1996	2·1%
23rd April 1996 to 22nd May 1996	1·93%
23rd May 1996 to 22nd June 1996	1·75%
23rd June 1996 to 22nd July 1996	1·58%
23rd July 1996 to 22nd August 1996	1·4%
23rd August 1996 to 22nd September 1996	1·23%
23rd September 1996 to 22nd October 1996	1·05%
23rd October 1996 to 22nd November 1996	0·88%
23rd November 1996 to 22nd December 1996	0.7%
23rd December 1996 to 22nd January 1997	0·53%
23rd January 1997 to 22nd February 1997	0·35%
23rd February 1997 to 22nd March 1997	0·18%
23rd March 1997 onwards	Nil

A deferred lump sum which begins on or before 22nd March 1997 and which becomes payable after 6th April 1997 receives the same percentage increase as a pension which begins on the same date.

Article 4 of the Order provides for increases on certain deferred lump sums which became payable after 7th April 1996 and before 7th April 1997.

This Order also provides that the amount by reference to which any increase in the rate of an official pension is to be calculated shall be reduced by an 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 Article 69(5) of the Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975 but Article 69A of that Order empowers the Department of Finance and Personnel to direct that in respect of specified cases or classes of case either no such reduction shall be made or the reduction shall be less than the rate of the guaranteed minimum pension. Article 69 (5ZA) applies Article 69(5) to a widow’s or widower’s pension.