The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Qualifying service

66.—(1) In these Regulations, “qualifying service” in relation to a member’s pension account, means the total of—

(a) any pensionable service under this scheme in relation to the same pension account;

(b) if a transfer value payment has been accepted under Part 10 (transfers) in respect of a member’s accrued rights under another occupational pension scheme, the member’s period of pensionable service under that scheme; and

(c) for a transition member with continuity of service, subject to paragraphs (2), (3), (4) and (5), the member’s pensionable service reckonable under article 45 (reckoning of and certificates as to pensionable service) of the FPS (if any) and the member’s qualifying service under the NFPS (if any).

(2) Where a transition member has more than one active member’s account, and was a member of the FPS, the pensionable service reckonable under article 45 of the FPS must be added to the pensionable service for the active member’s account in respect of which the scheme employment is the most similar to the employment which was pensionable under the FPS.

(3) Where a transition member has more active member’s accounts than the number of contracts of employment in respect of which that member was a member of the NFPS, the qualifying service under the NFPS must be added to the pensionable service for the active member’s account in respect of which the scheme employment is most similar to the employment which was pensionable under the NFPS.

(4) Where a transition member was a member of the FPS and the NFPS or had two or more contracts of employment in respect of which that member was a member of the NFPS, the pensionable service reckonable under article 45 of the FPS or the qualifying service under the NFPS, as the case may be, must be added to the pensionable service for the active member’s account in respect of which the scheme employment is most similar to the employment which was pensionable under the FPS or the NFPS.

(5) If the scheme manager is not certain which service pensionable under the FPS or qualifying service under the NFPS is the most similar to the scheme employment for a particular pension account, the member may decide which pensionable service under the FPS or qualifying service under the NFPS is to be added to the pensionable service in relation to a member’s pension account and notify the scheme manager by written notice, in a form required by the scheme manager.

(6) None of the following counts as qualifying service—

(a) any pensionable service under this scheme in respect of which a person’s rights under this scheme are extinguished;

(b) any pensionable service under the FPS or the NFPS in respect of which a person’s rights under that scheme are extinguished;

(c) any unauthorised absence from scheme employment.