Pensionable service
20.—(1) Pensionable service is the aggregate of the following periods—
(a)a period of service in which a member (M) contributes to this scheme under regulation 30 or 31;
(b)a period of absence from service which counts as pensionable service under regulation 21; and
(c)a period of service credited to M as pensionable service under Part 7 (Transfers).
(2) M’s pensionable service does not include—
(a)a period of service in respect of which an employing authority or the Department has paid contributions to another occupational pension scheme in respect of M;
(b)where M is a pensioner member or a deferred member, a period taken into account—
(i)in determining M’s entitlement to the pension in payment or, as the case may be, the deferred pension, or
(ii)in calculating the amount of the pension;
(c)a period of service in which the Department’s liability to provide benefits is discharged—
(i)by the payment of a contributions equivalent premium under section 51(2) of the 1993 Act(1),
(ii)under regulation 41 (Repayment of contributions), or
(iii)by the payment of a transfer value payment on transfer out under Part 7 (Transfers).
(3) Paragraph (4) applies if—
(a)the employment in which M is an active member ceases; and
(b)a payment is made in respect of untaken leave.
(4) If this paragraph applies—
(a)M’s pensionable service is treated as continuing for a period equal to the period of leave in respect of which payment is made, and
(b)the payment is treated as M’s pensionable earnings for the period.
(5) If M—
(a)is a pensioner member; and
(b)is entitled to a pension under regulation 84 (Partial retirement),
paragraph (2)(b) applies only to so much of M’s pensionable service as is mentioned in regulation 84(3)(a) (the specified percentage of the pensionable service as respects which M is an active member on the election day).
(6) For the purposes of calculating the length of a period of pensionable service—
(a)a year is a period of 365 days;
(b)29th February in any year is ignored;
(c)part of a day is treated as a whole day.
Section 51(2) was substituted by Article 138(1) of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I.22)) and amended by the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 c.1. (N.I.) Schedule 6 and S.I. 2001/4049