The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Forfeiture of pensions: offences committed by other persons

174.—(1) If a person (P) is convicted of the murder of a member, the scheme manager must withhold all of any surviving partner or eligible child’s pension otherwise payable to P in respect of the member under Part 6 (death benefits).

(2) If P is convicted of a relevant offence, the scheme manager may, to such extent as it considers consider appropriate, withhold any surviving partner or eligible child’s pension payable to P in respect of a member under Part 6 (death benefits).

(3) If paragraph (1) applies, Part 6 (death benefits) applies as if P had died before the member.

(4) Under paragraph (2), the scheme manager may only withhold such part of P’s pension as exceeds any guaranteed minimum to which P is entitled under section 13 of the Pension Schemes Act.

(5) If P is convicted of the murder of a member and the conviction is subsequently quashed on appeal, any surviving partner or eligible child’s pension withheld is to be payable from the day after that on which the member died, and the scheme manager must, as soon as reasonably practicable after the conviction is quashed, pay the arrears of the pension accrued.

(6) If P is convicted of a relevant offence and the conviction is subsequently quashed on appeal any decision under paragraph (2) is to be treated as revoked and the scheme manager must, as soon as reasonably practicable after the conviction is quashed, pay the arrears of the pension accrued from the day after that on which the member died.

(7) Nothing in paragraphs (5) or (6) is to affect the application of paragraphs (1) or (2) if the person whose conviction is quashed is subsequently convicted of the murder of the member or of a relevant offence.

(8) In this regulation, relevant offence means—

(a) the manslaughter of the member; or

(b) any other offence, apart from murder, of which the unlawful killing of the member is an element.