Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Shared cost schemes (SCAVCs)

Establishment of shared cost AVC schemes (SCAVCs)

69.—(1) An employing authority may resolve to establish and maintain arrangements under this Chapter for the purpose of enabling contributions (“SCAVCs”) to be paid by and for active members under this regulation, in addition to the others which may be paid under this Part.

(2) The resolution must specify whether all active members in employment under the Scheme with the employing authority are eligible to take part in the arrangements and, if not, the conditions for eligibility.

(3) It must also specify whether SCAVCs may be used to provide benefits payable on the death of active members (“death benefits”).

(4) If they may, it must specify whether the whole or a proportion is to be so used, and, if a proportion, specify it.

(5) It must also specify the amount of the contributions which the authority will pay under the arrangements for members who are themselves paying contributions under them.

Applications to pay SCAVCs

70.—(1) If an active member whose employing authority has established arrangements for SCAVCs under regulation 69 wishes to pay SCAVCs he must apply to it in writing.

(2) The employing authority must notify the member in writing before the expiry of the period of three months beginning with its receipt of his application whether it has accepted or rejected it.

(3) A notification of acceptance must specify the percentage of the member’s pay which the employing authority will pay in contributions under the arrangements.

(4) It must also specify whether any and, if so, what proportion of the contributions is to be used to provide death benefits and the nature of any such benefits.

(5) A member may elect to stop paying SCAVCs.

(6) The election must be made by notice in writing to his employing authority.

Functions of employing authority

71.—(1) Where an employing authority accepts an application under regulation 70 it must send a copy of the notification of acceptance to the Committee.

(2) The employing authority must make the arrangements necessary to enable a member whose application to pay SCAVCs has been accepted to begin paying them before the expiry of the period of two months (or such longer period as the Committee may allow) beginning with the date he applies to pay them.

(3) The employing authority must make the arrangements necessary to enable a member who has elected to stop paying SCAVCs to do so before the expiry of the period of two months (or such longer period as the Committee may allow) beginning with the date he so elects.

Application and investment of SCAVCs

72.—(1) Where the arrangements established by an employing authority provide for any of the SCAVCs to be used to provide death benefits, the Committee must make such arrangements for the provision of those benefits as are specified in regulation 65(1).

(2) The Committee must invest any SCAVCs which are not to be used to provide death benefits with an approved AVC body.

(3) Regulations 65(2) to (4) and 66(2) to (6) apply as respects SCAVCs as they apply as respects AVCs.

Changes of employment in which membership is continued

73.—(1) If a member who is paying SCAVCs leaves his employment and enters a new employment in which he is also a member, he may elect to have the accumulated value of the invested additional contributions specified in regulation 66(2) (as it applies by virtue of regulation 72(3)) used –

(a) to make a contribution to the arrangements the new employing authority has made under this Chapter for AVCs; or

(b) if –

(i) his new employing authority has established arrangements under this Chapter for the payment of SCAVCs, and

(ii) he has made an application to contribute under those arrangements which has been accepted,

to make a contribution to the new employer’s SCAVCs arrangements.

(2) Such an election must be made by notice in writing to the member’s new employing authority and may only be made if the member enters the new employment before the expiry of the period of one month and one day beginning with the date he left the former employment.

(3) The new employing authority must send a copy of any election under this regulation to the Committee.

(4) Where an election is made under paragraph (1)(a), it must specify –

(a) whether the member wishes the election to be treated as an election under regulation 62(1) in respect of the member’s new employment; and

(b) if he does, the matters which require to be specified in such an election.

(5) Where the election is made under paragraph (1)(a), the Committee must apply and invest the sum received as mentioned in regulation 66, together with any additional contributions falling to be so invested under that regulation by virtue of contributions made in respect of the new employment by virtue of any election which is treated as made under paragraph (4).

Termination

74.—(1) Where a member who is paying SCAVCs –

(a) leaves his employment and does not enter new employment in which he is an active member; or

(b) stops being an active member without leaving that employment,

regulation 68 applies as respects the elections he must or may make for the use of the accumulated value of the invested additional contributions specified in regulation 66(2) (as it applies by virtue of regulation 72(3)) as it would apply to a person in his circumstances as respects the accumulated value mentioned in regulation 68.

(2) Where neither paragraph (1)(a) nor (b) applies and an employing authority or a member stops paying SCAVCs (otherwise than by reason of the member having left his employment and entered new employment in which he is a member), the employing authority must give notice to the Committee.