The Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Protected Rights) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Choice of insurance company by annuitant

10.  For the purposes of section 25(4) (scheme member to be taken to have chosen an insurance company to provide his annuity only if he gives notice in the prescribed manner and within the prescribed period) the prescribed manner is in writing, and the prescribed period is—

(a) where the trustees or managers of the scheme know of no reason to suppose that the pension or annuity will not commence on the date on which the member will attain—

(i) in the case of a money purchase contracted-out scheme the normal pension age if that age is not less than 60 years; or

(ii) in the case of a personal pension scheme, the agreed age at which he is entitled to receive benefits under the scheme if that age is not less than 60 years,

a period of 5 months (or such longer period as the rules of the scheme may allow) beginning on the date which is 6 months earlier than that on which he will attain that age; and

(b) in any other case—

(i) if the date of the agreement in respect of when the pension or annuity is to commence (“the date of agreement”) is more than one month before the agreed date for commencement of payment (“the agreed date”), a period beginning on the date of agreement and ending one month before the agreed date; and

(ii) if the date of agreement is not more than one month before the agreed date, a period consisting only of the date of agreement,

or such longer period as the rules of the scheme may allow.