The Coroners (Compensation) Regulations 1965

PART VI ADJUSTMENT, REVIEW AND COMPOUNDING OF COMPENSATION

Notification of compensating authority as to entry into certain employments

23.  Where a person entitled to long-term compensation enters any employment the remuneration whereof is payable out of public funds, he shall forthwith give notice in writing to the compensating authority that he holds such employment and he shall give the like notice of any increase in his remuneration in that employment and of his ceasing to hold that employment.

Review of award of long-term or retirement compensation

24.—(1) The compensating authority shall, within a period of two years after the date on which any decision on a claim for long-term or retirement compensation for loss of office (other than compensation payable under Regulation 18 of these Regulations) is notified to a claimant under Regulation 27 of these Regulations, review their decision or, where the claim has been the subject of an appeal, the decision of the tribunal at intervals of not more than six months, and these Regulations shall apply in relation to any such review as they apply in relation to the initial determination of the claim; and on such review, in the light of any material change in the circumstances of the case, compensation may be awarded, or compensation previously awarded may be increased, reduced or discontinued, subject to the limits set out in these Regulations.

(2) The claimant may require the compensating authority to carry out the review mentioned in the last foregoing paragraph at any time within the period of two years mentioned in that paragraph if he considers that there has been a change in the circumstances of his case which is material for the purposes of these Regulations.

(3) The compensating authority shall carry out a review in accordance with paragraph (1) of this Regulation notwithstanding the expiration of the period mentioned in that paragraph if—

(a) the emoluments of employment or work undertaken in place of the office which has been lost had been taken into account in determining the amount of any compensation awarded, and

(b) such employment or work has been lost or the emoluments thereof reduced, otherwise than by reason of misconduct or incapacity to perform such duties as the claimant might reasonably have been required to perform, and

(c) the compensating authority is satisfied that such loss or reduction is causing hardship to the claimant,

and where any decision is so reviewed, the decision shall be subject to further review in accordance with paragraph (1) of this Regulation as if the review carried out under this paragraph had been the initial determination of the claim.

(4) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Regulation shall apply in relation to any decision on a claim for long-term or retirement compensation in respect of diminution of emoluments as they apply in respect of any decision mentioned in the said paragraph (1):

Provided that—

(i) no review shall take place after the date on which the claimant ceases to hold the office in which his emoluments were diminished, except a review as at that date; and

(ii) while the claimant continues to hold that office there shall be no limit to the period within which a review may take place.

(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing provisions of this Regulation, the compensating authority shall review a decision (whether of the authority or the tribunal) on a claim for long-term compensation for loss of office or diminution of emoluments after the expiration of any period within which a review is required to be made if at any time—

(a) the claimant is engaged in employment (hereinafter referred to as his “current employment”) the remuneration whereof is payable out of public funds and which he has undertaken in place of the office he has lost or, as the case may be, the office in which his emoluments were diminished , and

(b) the aggregate of the net emoluments of his current employment and the long-term compensation payable to him exceed the net emoluments of the office he has lost or, as the case may be, the amount of his net emoluments prior to their diminution,

and the authority shall thereafter further review such decision whenever the net emoluments of the claimant's current employment are increased; but if on any such review the compensation is reduced, it shall not be reduced below the amount by which the net emoluments of the claimant's current employment fall short of the emoluments of the office he has lost or, as the case may be, the amount of his emoluments prior to their diminution.

(6) The compensating authority shall given to a claimant not less than fourteen days' notice of any review to be carried out under this Regulation otherwise than at his request.

Compounding of awards

25.—(1) In a case where an annual sum which has been or might be awarded under these Regulations does not exceed £26, the compensating authority may, at their discretion, compound their liability in respect thereof by paying a lump sum equivalent to the capital value of the annual sum.

(2) In any other case the compensating authority may, if the person who has been awarded long-term or retirement compensation requests them to do so and they, in their discretion, after having regard to the state of health of that person and the other circumstances of the case, deem fit, compound up to one quarter of their liability to make payments under the award by the payment of an equivalent amount as a lump sum.

(3) The making of a composition under paragraph (2) of this Regulation in relation to an award of long-term or retirement compensation shall not prevent the subsequent making of a composition under paragraph (1) of this Regulation in relation to that award, but, subject as aforesaid, not more than one composition may be made in relation to any award.