The Occupational Pension Schemes (Winding up, etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005

Amendment of the Pension Sharing (Pension Credit Benefit) Regulations

18.—(1) The Pension Sharing (Pension Credit Benefit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000(1) shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (11).

(2) In regulation 1(2) for the definition of “the Minimum Funding Requirement Regulations” there shall be substituted the following definition –

““the Minimum Funding Requirement Regulations” means the Occupational Pension Schemes (Minimum Funding Requirement and Actuarial Valuations) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996;”.

(3) In regulation 15(4) (further conditions on which liability may be discharged) for sub-paragraph (b) there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraph –

“(b) the winding up provisions (as defined in Article 73B(10)(a)) and regulations made under those provisions do not apply;”.

(4) In regulation 24(3)(b)(iv) (manner of calculation and verification of cash equivalents) for “the liabilities mentioned in Article 73(3)(a), (c)(i) and (d)” there shall be substituted “liabilities for the benefits in respect of which the cash equivalent is being calculated”.

(5) In regulation 27 (increases and reductions of cash equivalents before a statement of entitlement has been sent to the eligible member) for paragraphs (4) to (4B)(2) there shall be substituted the following paragraphs –

“(4) In the case of a scheme to which Article 56 (minimum funding requirement) applies, the cash equivalent in respect of an eligible member may be reduced by the trustees or managers of the scheme if the GN 11 insufficiency conditions are met.

(4A) The GN 11 insufficiency conditions are that the actuary’s last relevant GN 11 report (see paragraph (4J)) shows that at the effective date of the report –

(a) the scheme had assets that were insufficient to pay the full amount of the cash equivalent in respect of all the members; and

(b) the assets were insufficient to pay in full any category of liabilities that is a category of liabilities for benefits in respect of which the eligible member’s cash equivalent is being calculated.

(4B) If the GN 11 insufficiency conditions are met then, subject to paragraph (4D), the trustees or managers may reduce any part of the eligible member’s cash equivalent that is payable in respect of such a category of liabilities as are mentioned in paragraph (4A)(b) by a percentage not exceeding the GN 11 deficiency percentage.

(4C) The GN 11 deficiency percentage for any such part of an eligible member’s cash equivalent is the percentage by which the actuary’s last relevant GN 11 report shows that the assets were insufficient to pay that category of liabilities.

(4D) The total reduction made in an eligible member’s cash equivalent under paragraph (4) must not reduce the member’s cash equivalent below the MFR basis minimum for the member.

(4E) Subject to paragraph (4F), for the purposes of this regulation, the MFR basis minimum for the eligible member is the minimum amount required in accordance with regulation 24(3)(b)(iv) to pay in full the liabilities for the benefits in respect of which the member’s cash equivalent is being calculated.

(4F) If the GN 11 insufficiency conditions and the MFR insufficiency conditions are both met, the MFR basis minimum for the eligible member for the purposes of paragraph (4D) may be reduced by the trustees or managers in accordance with paragraph (4H).

(4G) The MFR insufficiency conditions are that the last relevant MFR valuation statement (see paragraph (4K)) shows that at the effective date of the valuation –

(a) the scheme had assets that were insufficient to pay in full the liabilities of the scheme in respect of pensions and other benefits towards which the assets would be required by Article 73 to be applied in the order determined under that Article; and

(b) the assets were insufficient to pay in full any category of liabilities to which that order applies that are liabilities for benefits in respect of which the eligible member’s cash equivalent is being calculated.

(4H) The reduction that may be made under paragraph (4F) is that any part of the MFR basis minimum for the eligible member that relates to that category of liabilities may be reduced by a percentage not exceeding the MFR deficiency percentage.

(4I) The MFR deficiency percentage for any such part of the MFR basis minimum for the eligible member is the percentage by which the last relevant MFR valuation statement shows that the assets were insufficient to pay that category of liabilities.

(4J) The references in this regulation to the actuary’s last relevant GN 11 report are to his last report before the reference date in accordance with “Retirement Benefit Schemes – Transfer Values (GN 11)” published by the Faculty of Actuaries and the Institute of Actuaries and current at the reference date.

(4K) The references in this regulation to the last relevant MFR valuation statement are to the statement made by the actuary in accordance with Schedule 1 to the Minimum Funding Requirement Regulations (minimum funding valuation statements) and contained in the last actuarial valuation under Article 57 (valuation and certification of assets and liabilities) before the reference date.

(4L) If the last relevant MFR valuation statement refers to an order for applying assets determined under Article 73 that is an order modified by regulations made under that Article, then the reduction under paragraph (4F) is to be made by reference to the order as so modified.

(4M) In paragraphs (4J) and (4K) “the reference date” means the date by reference to which the cash equivalent is determined.”.

(6) In regulation 27(5) for “paragraph (4)”, “the reference” and “a reference” there shall be substituted “paragraphs (4), (4A) and (4G)”, “the references” and “references” respectively.

(7) In regulation 27(9) for “Article 73 and the Winding Up Regulations” there shall be substituted “the winding up provisions and regulations made under those provisions”.

(8) In regulation 27(10) for “under the Winding Up Regulations, Article 73 applies” there shall be substituted “regulations made under Article 73B(4)(b)(i) by virtue of Article 73B(5), the winding up provisions apply”.

(9) For regulation 27(13) there shall be substituted the following paragraph –

“(13) In this regulation –

“actuary” has the meaning given by regulation 24;

“the winding up provisions” means Articles 73 to 74.”.

(10) In regulation 28(3) (increases and reductions of cash equivalents once the statement of entitlement has been sent to the eligible member) for “Articles 73 and 74 and the Winding Up Regulations” there shall be substituted “the winding up provisions (as defined in regulation 27(13)) and regulations made under those provisions”.

(11) In regulation 28(4) for “the Winding Up Regulations, Article 73 applies” there shall be substituted “regulations made under Article 73B(4)(b)(i) by virtue of Article 73B(5), the winding up provisions (as so defined) apply”.

(12) This regulation only applies if the relevant proceedings commenced on or after 6th April 2005 and the scheme has not begun to be wound up before that date.

(13) In paragraph (12) “the relevant proceedings” means the proceedings for the dissolution or annulment of marriage in connection with which the order or provision mentioned in Article 25(1) of the 1999 Order that resulted in entitlement to the pension credit in question was made.

(1)

S.R. 2000 No. 146; relevant amending regulations are S.R. 2003 No. 337

(2)

Paragraphs (4) to (4B) were substituted for paragraph (4) by regulation 6(3) of S.R. 2003 No. 337