These Regulations amend the Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Protected Rights) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (“the Protected Rights Regulations”) and the Personal Pension Schemes (Appropriate Schemes) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (“the Appropriate Schemes Regulations”).

Regulation 2 amends regulation 12(11) of the Protected Rights Regulations which applies where the member of a pension scheme dies before effect is given to that member’s protected rights. The amendment removes the provision which allowed payment of such a pension to, or for, someone who was not the spouse, civil partner or child of the member.

Regulation 3(3) substitutes regulation 2, and regulation 3(4) omits regulation 3, of the Appropriate Schemes Regulations to change the circumstances in which a personal pension scheme can be an appropriate scheme. The scheme must be registered with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs if it is to become an appropriate scheme. (If the scheme meets this condition, the Appropriate Schemes Regulations contain other conditions the scheme may have to meet.) Regulation 3(2) and (5) to (9) makes consequential amendments.

Regulation 4 and the Schedule make consequential revocations.