The Pensions (2012 Act) (Transitional, Consequential and Supplementary Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014

PART 17 N.I. Disclosure

Benefits and schemes treated as money purchase before the appointed day N.I.

72.—(1) Where the conditions specified in paragraph (2) are met—

(a) the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme are not, in relation to any period before the appointed day, required to supply information under the provisions specified in paragraph (2)(c), and

(b) neither—

(i) regulation 11 M1 (civil penalties) of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 M2 (“the 1997 Disclosure Regulations”), nor

(ii) regulation 5 (civil penalties relating to occupational pension schemes) of the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 M3 (“the Disclosure Regulations”),

applies in relation to a failure to provide information required under the provisions specified in paragraph (2)(c) in relation to a period before the appointed day.

(2) The conditions specified in this paragraph are that, before the appointed day—

(a) members of an occupational pension scheme—

(i) had, under the scheme, accrued rights to cash balance benefits, a defined benefit minimum (in relation to money purchase underpin benefits) or top-up benefits, or

(ii) were entitled to a pension derived from cash balance benefits or money purchase benefits;

(b) the trustees or managers of the scheme treated benefits specified in sub-paragraph (a) as money purchase benefits or treated the scheme as a money purchase scheme, and

(c) the trustees or managers did not supply to members of the scheme information specified in the following provisions—

(i) in the 1997 Disclosure Regulations—

(aa) paragraph 4 M4 of Schedule 2, in accordance with regulation 5(4) (information to be made available to individuals);

(bb) paragraph 16 of Schedule 2, in accordance with regulation 5(12)(a);

(cc) paragraphs 17 M5 to 22 of Schedule 2, in accordance with regulation 5(12ZA) M6 and subject to regulation 5(16) M7 ;

(dd) regulation 6(1)(b) to (d) M8 (availability and content of annual report);

(ee) regulation 7(1)(a) to (ca) and (e) M9 (availability of other documents);

(ii) in the Disclosure Regulations—

(aa) Part 3 of Schedule 3 (information on funding principles and actuarial valuations etc), in accordance with regulation 13 (other information to be given on request);

(bb) Schedule 4, in accordance with regulation 15(1) (summary funding statements);

(cc) Schedule 5, in accordance with regulation 16 (statements of benefits: non money purchase benefits);

(dd) paragraph 16 of Schedule 8 (information on expected benefits), in accordance with regulation 25(2)(b)(ii) (occupational pension schemes after winding up for individual members).

Marginal Citations

M1 Regulation 11 was substituted by regulation 17 of S.R. 2005 No. 170 and amended by regulation 9 of S.R. 2009 No. 115 before revocation by Schedule 10 to S.R. 2014 No. 79

M2 S.R. 1997 No. 98; these Regulations were (prospectively) revoked by Schedule 10 to S.R. 2014 No. 79

M3 S.R. 2014 No. 79

M4 Paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 was amended by regulation 5 of S.R. 2000 No. 335

M5 Paragraphs 17 to 22 of Schedule 2 were inserted by paragraph 6 of Schedule 3 to S.R. 2005 No. 568

M6 Paragraph (12ZA) of regulation 5 was inserted by paragraph 6 of Schedule 3 to S.R. 2005 No. 568 and amended by regulation 8 of S.R. 2007 No. 185

M7 Paragraph (16) of regulation 5 was inserted by regulation 8 of S.R. 2007 No. 185

M8 Paragraph (1) of regulation 6 was amended by paragraph 19 of the Schedule to S.R. 1997 No. 160 and paragraph 6 of Schedule 3 to 2005 No. 568

M9 Paragraph (1) of regulation 7 was amended by paragraph 6 of Schedule 3 to S.R. 2005 No. 568 and regulation 3 of 2006 No. 297

Amendment of the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations N.I.

73.—(1) The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 are amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (8).

F1 (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) After regulation 16 (statements of benefits: non money purchase benefits) insert—

“Statements of benefits: cash balance benefits

16A.— (1) The information mentioned in paragraph (2) (in addition to the information required under regulation 16) must be given to any member in accordance with this regulation where—

(a) the member has rights to cash balance benefits;

(b) the member requests that information, and

(c) information has not been given to that member under this regulation in the 12 months before that request.

(2) The information is that listed in paragraphs 6A, 9 to 14, 16A and 17 of Schedule 6.

(3) The information must be given as soon as practicable but no more than 2 months after the date the request is made.”.

F2 (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5) In regulation 25 (occupational pension schemes after winding up for individual members) for paragraph (2)(a) substitute—

“(a) where the member or beneficiary of the scheme—

(i) has rights to benefits other than money purchase benefits, the information mentioned in Part 2 of Schedule 8, or

(ii) has rights to money purchase benefits, the information mentioned in paragraph 10 of Schedule 8, and”.

(6) In Schedule 2—

(a) after paragraph 16 insert—

“16A.   Where the member has rights to cash balance benefits, a statement that the value of the pension will depend on several factors including the amount of contributions paid, any guaranteed interest or bonuses applied and the cost of converting the benefits into an annuity.”.

(b) after paragraph 28 insert—

“28A.   Where the member has rights to cash balance benefits, a statement that the value of the pension will depend on several factors including the amount of contributions paid, any guaranteed interest or bonuses applied and the cost of converting the benefits into an annuity.”.

(7) In the heading to Schedule 6 (statements of benefits: money purchase benefits) after “money purchase benefits” insert “ and cash balance benefits ”.

(8) In Schedule 6—

(a) in paragraph 6 for “An” substitute “ For money purchase benefits, an ”;

(b) after paragraph 6 insert—

“6A.   For cash balance benefits, an illustration of the amount of the pension calculated—

(a) in accordance with paragraph 7(1)(a)(ii) and (2);

(b) in accordance with the rules of the scheme, and

(c) where appropriate, in a manner consistent with the relevant guidance,

that is likely to be secured by the member at the member's normal pension age in respect of the member's rights to cash balance benefits that have arisen or may arise under the scheme.”, and

(c) after paragraph 16 insert—

“16A.   A statement that the amount of any pension payable under the scheme to or in respect of the member will depend on considerations (including the cost of buying an annuity at the time the pension becomes payable) which may be different from any assumptions made.”.

Textual Amendments

F1 Reg. 73(2) revoked (6.4.2015) by The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (DisclosureofInformation) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 (S.R. 2015/154), regs. 1(1), 15

F2 Reg. 73(4) revoked (6.4.2015) by The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (DisclosureofInformation) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 (S.R. 2015/154), regs. 1(1), 15