The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Tapered protection members of the FPS or the NFPS

15.—(1) A person (P) to whom any of the paragraphs 18 to 21 applies is a tapered protection member of the FPS or the NFPS.

(2) P ceases to be a tapered protection member of the FPS or the NFPS on whichever of the following days occurs first—

(a) P’s tapered protection closing date; or

(b) the day on which P ceases to be in pensionable service under the FPS or if later, ceases to be eligible to be in pensionable service under the NFPS unless sub-paragraph (3) or sub-paragraph (4) applies.

(3) This sub-paragraph applies if—

(a) before P’s transition date P returns to service which is pensionable under the NFPS from service which is pensionable under an existing scheme or an existing public body pension scheme; and

(b) P would have been a protected member of that existing scheme or existing public body pension scheme had P re-entered service which is pensionable under that scheme on the date P returns to service which is pensionable under the NFPS.

(4) This sub-paragraph applies if—

(a) before P’s transition date P returns to service which is pensionable under the NFPS otherwise than from service which is pensionable under an existing scheme or an existing public body pension scheme; and

(b) P returns to service which is pensionable under the NFPS after a gap in service not exceeding five years.

(5) For the purpose of paragraph (4)(b), after the scheme closing date, P is not on a gap in service while P is in pensionable public service.