The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

CHAPTER 1 Interpretation

Meaning of “surviving partner”

84.—(1) For the purposes of these Regulations, a person is a surviving partner in relation to a member if, at the date of the member’s death, that person is—

(a) the spouse or civil partner of the member;

(b) cohabiting with the member and—

(i) is not married or in a civil partnership with that member, and

(ii) is not the spouse or civil partner of any other person, and

(iii) could enter into a marriage or civil partnership under the law of Northern Ireland with the member but has not done so,

(iv) is financially dependent on the scheme member, or is, with the scheme member, in a state of mutual financial dependency, and

(v) is in a long-term relationship with the scheme member.

(2) In paragraph (1) “long–term relationship” means a relationship that has continued for a period of at least two years ending with the date on which the question of the person’s status in relation to the member falls to be considered, or such shorter period as the scheme manager may in any particular case think fit.

(3) In these Regulations, “cohabiting partner” means a person who satisfies the requirements in paragraph (1)(b);

Meaning of “initial period”

85.  For the purposes of this Part, the “initial period” is the period of 13 weeks commencing on the day after the death of the member during which a bereavement pension may be payable to any surviving partner or eligible child.