(1)A money purchase scheme that has its main administration in the United Kingdom satisfies the quality requirement in relation to a jobholder if under the scheme—
(a)the jobholder’s employer must pay contributions in respect of the jobholder;
(b)the employer’s contribution, however calculated, must be equal to or more than 3% of the amount of the jobholder’s qualifying earnings in the relevant pay reference period;
(c)the total amount of contributions paid by the jobholder and the employer, however calculated, must be equal to or more than 8% of the amount of the jobholder’s qualifying earnings in the relevant pay reference period.
(2)The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that, where a certificate has been issued under section 7(1) of the Pension Schemes Act 1993 stating that the employment of the jobholder is contracted-out employment by reference to the scheme, paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (1) have effect with prescribed modifications.
(3)A scheme does not fail to satisfy the quality requirement under this section merely because the trustees or managers of the scheme may on any occasion refuse to accept a contribution below an amount prescribed for the purposes of this section on the grounds that it is below that amount.