The Health and Social Care Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

CHAPTER 9 N.I. Contracting out obligations

Guaranteed minimum pension etc N.I.

109.—(1) If a member (M) has a guaranteed minimum pension under section 10 of the 1993 Act M1 in relation to benefits under this scheme, nothing in these Regulations —

(a) permits or requires anything that would cause requirements made by or under that Act in relation to M and M's rights under this scheme not to be met in the case of M; or

(b) prevents anything from being done which is necessary or expedient for the purposes of meeting such requirements in the case of M.

(2) Paragraph (3) applies if apart from this regulation—

(a) no pension would be payable to M under this scheme, or

(b) the weekly rate of the pensions payable would be less than the guaranteed minimum.

(3) Where this paragraph applies, as the case may be—

(a) a pension at a weekly rate equal to the guaranteed minimum is payable to M for life from the date on which M reaches State pension age; or

(b) pensions, the aggregate weekly rate of which is equal to the guaranteed minimum, are so payable.

(4) If—

(a) on reaching State pension age M is still in employment (whether or not it is scheme employment), and

(b) if it is not scheme employment, M consents to a postponement of M's entitlement under paragraph (3),

paragraph (3) does not apply until M leaves employment.

(5) If M continues in employment for a further 5 years after reaching State pension age and does not then leave employment, M is entitled from the end of that period to so much of the member's pension under this Part as equals M's guaranteed minimum (or, as the case may be, to so much of M's pensions under this Part as together have a weekly rate equal to M's guaranteed minimum), unless M consents to a further postponement of the entitlement.

(6) If paragraph (4) or (5) applies, the amount of the guaranteed minimum to which M is entitled under this regulation is increased in accordance with section 11 of the 1993 Act.

(7) If—

(a) before State pension age M becomes entitled to the immediate payment of a pension, and

(b) M has a guaranteed minimum under section 10 of the 1993 Act in relation to the whole or part of the pension,

the weekly rate of the pension, so far as attributable to that service, must not be less than that guaranteed minimum, multiplied by such factor as is indicated in tables provided by the scheme actuary for a person of M's age and sex at the date on which the pension becomes payable.

(8) This paragraph applies if a person has ceased to be in employment that is contracted-out by reference to this scheme, and either—

(a) all the person's rights to benefits under this scheme, except the person's rights in respect of the person's guaranteed minimum or rights under section 5(2B) of the 1993 Act M2 (“the person's contracting-out rights”), have been transferred under Part 7 (Transfers), or

(b) the person has no rights to benefits under this scheme apart from the person's contracting-out rights.

(9) If paragraph (8) applies—

(a) from the date on which the person reaches State pension age the person is entitled to a pension payable for life at a weekly rate equal to his guaranteed minimum, if any; and

(b) from the date on which the person reaches pension age the person is entitled to a pension in respect of his rights under section 5(2B) of the 1993 Act,

but a person falling within paragraph (8) is not to be regarded as a pensioner for the purposes of Part 6 (Survivor benefits).

(10) Paragraphs (2) to (9) do not apply to—

(a) a pension that is forfeited—

(i) as a result of a conviction for treason, or

(ii) in a case where an offence within paragraph 12(2)(b) of Schedule 3F1 ... is committed,

(b) a pension that is commuted under regulation 108 (Option for members in serious ill- health to exchange whole pension for lump sum), or

(c) a pension that is commuted under paragraph 6 of Schedule 3 (Commutation of small pensions) where the conditions in regulation 60 of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Contracting-out) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 M3 are met,

but if any other provision of this scheme is inconsistent with this regulation, this regulation prevails.

(11) In this regulation—

(a) “scheme employment”, in relation to a member, means employment in the employment by virtue of which the member is eligible for membership of this scheme, and

(b) references to the amount of a pension are to its amount—

(i) disregarding any additional pension,

(ii) after the subtraction of any amount converted under regulation 76 (Conversion of part of pension into lump sum), and

(iii) before the subtraction of any amount allocated under regulation 50 (Election to allocate pension).

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in reg. 109(10)(a)(ii) omitted (20.12.2023) by virtue of The National Security Act 2023 (Consequential Amendments of Subordinate Legislation) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1267), reg. 1(2), Sch. para. 44(3)

Marginal Citations

M1 Section 10 was amended by the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I. 22)) Articles 147, 168, Schedule 3 paragraph 20, Schedule 5 Part III; the Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/671) Article 3(1) and Schedule 1 paragraph 41; the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (2002 c.29) Schedule 11 paragraph 23(3)

M2 Section 5(2B) was inserted by the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, (S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I.22)) Article 133(3) and amended by the Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/671) Schedule 1 paragraph 38(2)

M3 Regulation 60 was substituted by Article 28(10) of S.I. 2006/744 and amended by S.R. 2006 No.223, S.R. 2009 No.365 and S.R. 2010 No.108