The Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014

Employing authority contributions during absences

17.—(1) An employing authority shall, in respect of an active member on child-related leave, pay contributions in accordance with regulation 73(4) (contributing body’s contributions) on the assumed pensionable pay of that member.

(2) An employing authority shall pay contributions in accordance with regulation 73(4) where an active member is absent from employment by reason of illness or injury.

(3) When an active member goes on reserve forces service leave—

(a) the employing authority shall give the following information in writing to the member—

(i) the assumed pensionable pay on which the member is liable to pay contributions in accordance with regulation 11 (contributions) or 12 (temporary reduction in contributions),

(ii) details of any pensionable pay being paid by the employing authority to the member during the absence,

(iii) the rate of the employer’s contribution, being the common rate of the employer’s contribution as adjusted by the individual adjustment of that employer’s contribution, as specified for the time being in the employing authority’s current rates and adjustment certificate, and

(iv) details of the Committee;

(b) employer contributions at the rate of the employer’s contribution specified in the employing authority’s rates and adjustment certificate are payable to the Committee on the member’s assumed pensionable pay less any pensionable pay being paid to the member during the absence.

(4) Where an active member—

(a) on reserve forces service leave;

(b) on child-related leave, which for this regulation includes any period of additional maternity leave, additional adoption leave, or additional paternity leave during which the member receives no pay;

(c) absent from work due to illness or injury where regulation 16(1) (contributions during absence for illness or injury) applies; or

(d) absent from work with permission from the member’s employing authority,

has an arrangement under regulation 18 (additional pension contributions) the employing authority’s contributions under regulations 18(2)(e) or 18(4)(d) (additional pension contributions, shared cost) shall remain payable if that regulation applies; or has a SCAVC arrangement under regulation 19 (additional voluntary contributions) the employing authority’s contributions to that SCAVC shall continue to be paid.

(5) Subject to paragraph (6), if an active member who is absent from work with permission with no pensionable pay otherwise than because of illness or injury, child-related leave or reserve forces service leave, elects to enter into an arrangement to pay additional contributions under regulation 18 (additional pension contributions), the member’s employing authority shall pay contributions under regulations 18(2)(e) or 18(4)(d) (additional pension contributions, shared cost) to meet two-thirds of the cost of the arrangement.

(6) The amount that an employing authority can be required to pay under paragraph (5) may not exceed the cost of an arrangement which would give rise to additional pension accrual equivalent to that which a member would have accrued if treated as receiving assumed pensionable pay for the period of absence from work up to a maximum period of thirty-six months.

(7) In paragraphs (4)(d) and (5) the expression “absent from work with permission” does not include an absence due to a trade dispute.