Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

4.  For regulation 46 (meaning of “eligible child”), substitute—

46.(1) Subject to paragraph (3), the child of a deceased member is an eligible child if he is wholly or mainly dependent on the member, and is less than 18 years of age, at the date of the member’s death.

(2) But a child who is born on or after the first anniversary of the date of the member’s death is not an eligible child.

(3) A dependent child who has reached the age of 18 but has not reached the age of 23 and is in full-time education or undertaking vocational training at the date of the member’s death is an eligible child.

(4) The Committee may treat a dependent child as an eligible child after he reaches the age of 18 and until he reaches the age of 23 if he commences full-time education or vocational training after the date of the member’s death.

(5) In the case of a dependent child falling within paragraph (4), the Committee may—

(a)treat education or training as continuous despite a break; or

(b)suspend payment of any entitlement to benefits under regulations 47, 48 and 49 during a break in education or vocational training.

(6) The Committee may treat a dependent child who is disabled within the meaning of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995(1) as an eligible child..