The Firefighters’ Pension Schemes and Compensation Scheme (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2018

Title and commencement

1.—(1) The title of this Order is the Firefighters’ Pension Schemes and Compensation Scheme (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2018 and it comes into force on 1 June 2018.

(2) The amendments made by—

(a) article 2(2), (3), (4)(a) and (5); and

(b) articles 3(8) and 4;

have effect from 1 April 2015.

(3) The amendments made by article 3(2) to (7) and (9) have effect from 6 April 2006.

(4) The amendments made by article 2(4)(b) have effect from 1 December 2006.

(5) The amendment made by article 5 has effect from 31 December 2016(1).

Amendment of the Firemen’s Pension Scheme Order 1992

2.—(1) Schedule 2 to the Firemen’s Pension Scheme Order 1992(2) (in which is set out the Firefighters’ Pension (Wales) Scheme) is amended as follows.

(2) In Part B (personal awards)—

(a) in rule B1A(3)(3) (continuous service pension)—

(i) in sub-paragraph (a), for “paragraph (1)(a)” substitute “paragraph (1)(b)”; and

(ii) for sub-paragraph (b) substitute—

“(b) paragraph (1) of this rule applies as if the age ascertained under sub-paragraph (a) were substituted for “normal pension age”.”;

(b) in rule B2A(4) (continued pension), for “rule B1A(3)(i)” substitute “rule B1A(3)(a)”;

(c) in rule B5A(4B)(a)(5) (entitlement to two pensions), for “” substitute “”;

(d) in rule B5D(1A)(6) (additional pension benefit: supplementary provisions), for “paragraph (3)(i)” substitute “paragraph (3)(a)”.

(3) In Part C (awards on death – spouses), in rule C9 (effect of remarriage)—

(a) in paragraph (1), for “A person” substitute “Subject to paragraphs (3) to (6), a person”;

(b) in paragraph (2), for “Where a person” substitute “Subject to paragraphs (3) to (6), where a person”; and

(c) after paragraph (2) insert—

“(3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) do not apply in relation to a person (“P”) who is entitled to a pension or gratuity under this Part, where—

(a) P is either—

(i) entitled to a pension under rule C1 (spouse’s ordinary pension), rule C4 (spouse’s accrued pension), rule C5 (limitation on award to spouse or civil partner by reference to date of marriage or formation of partnership), rule C6 (spouse or civil partner’s requisite benefit and temporary pension) or rule C8 (limitation where spouses living apart); or

(ii) receiving a gratuity under rule C8(7); and

(b) the deceased spouse or civil partner of P (“D”) died as a result of an injury—

(i) received in the exercise of D’s duties as a firefighter; or

(ii) sustained while on a journey necessary to enable D to report for duty or return home after duty.

(4) Where P’s entitlement to a pension or any part of a gratuity under this Part was removed by virtue of paragraph (1) or (2) prior to 1 April 2015 and the conditions in paragraph (3) were satisfied in relation to P, entitlement to the pension or part of gratuity is reinstated with effect from 1 April 2015 and the pension or part of gratuity becomes payable as from that date.

(5) Nothing in paragraph (4) requires the making of any payment where the person to whom the payment would otherwise have been made has died prior to 1 April 2015.

(6) Where a payment is required to be made under paragraph (4) in respect of a person who has died between 1 April 2015 and 1 June 2018, the amount due must be paid to that person’s personal representatives.”

(4) In Part G (pensionable pay and contributions)—

(a) in rule G1 (pensionable pay and average pensionable pay)—

(i) in paragraphs (10) and (11)(7), for “paragraph 34 of Schedule 2” substitute “paragraph 33 of Schedule 2”;

(ii) in paragraph (11), for “paragraph 34(4) of Schedule 2” substitute “paragraph 33(4) of Schedule 2”;

(iii) in paragraph (13), for “paragraph 34(3) of Schedule 2” substitute “paragraph 33(3) of Schedule 2”; and

(b) in rule G2 (pension contributions)—

(i) in paragraph (1), for “paragraph (1B)”(8) substitute “paragraphs (1B) to (1D)”;

(ii) after paragraph (1B) insert—

“(1C) A firefighter who is—

(a) below the age of 50 and has reckoned 30 years’ pensionable service; and

(b) entitled to be credited with additional pension benefit under rule B5B or B5C,

until the firefighter attains the age of 50, pays pensions contributions to the fire and rescue authority only in relation to that additional pension benefit.

(1D) Contributions payable under paragraph (1C) are payable—

(a) at the rate of 11% in the period starting on 1 December 2006 and ending on 31 March 2012; and

(b) on and after 1 April 2012 at the rate specified in the Table in paragraph 3 of Part A1 of Schedule 8.”; and

(iii) for paragraph (4) substitute—

“(4) The annual contribution is such percentage of the authority’s estimate of the aggregate of the pensionable pay, for the year in respect of which the contribution is made, of those firefighters employed by the authority who are—

(a) required by paragraph (1) to make pensions contributions in that year; and

(b) below the age of 50 and have reckoned 30 years’ pensionable service,

as shall have been notified to them for that year by the Secretary of State.”

(5) In Part 2A(9) (continuous service pension) of Schedule 2 (personal awards), for “40 years”, where the words occur for the first time, substitute “30 years”.

Amendment of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Wales) Order 2007

3.—(1) Schedule 1 to the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Wales) Order 2007(10) is amended as follows.

(2) In the Table of Contents, in the headings to Chapter 1 of Part 4 and rules 1 and 5 of that Chapter, for “nominated partners” substitute “cohabiting partners”.

(3) In Part 1 (title and interpretation), in rule 2(1) (interpretation)—

(a) in the definition of “child”, in paragraph (a)(iii), for “nominated partner” substitute “cohabiting partner”;

(b) omit the definition of “nominated partner”; and

(c) in the appropriate place insert—

““cohabiting partner” (“partner sy’n cyd-fyw”) has the meaning given by rule 1(6) of Part 2;”.

(4) In Part 2 (scheme membership, cessation and retirement), in rule 1 (scheme membership)—

(a) in paragraph (5)(b), for “nominated partner” substitute “cohabiting partner”;

(b) for paragraph (6) substitute—

“(6) For the purposes of paragraph (5), the cohabiting partner of a firefighter member, deferred member or pensioner member (referred to in this paragraph as “the scheme member”) is a person who—

(a) is living with the scheme member as if that person and the scheme member were spouses or civil partners; and

(b) at the date on which the question of the cohabiting partner’s status in relation to the scheme member falls to be considered—

(i) is not the spouse or civil partner of any person,

(ii) could enter into a marriage or a civil partnership with the scheme member under the law of England and Wales,

(iii) is financially dependent on the scheme member, or is, with the scheme member, in a state of mutual financial dependency, and

(iv) is in a long-term relationship with the scheme member.”;

(c) omit paragraph (7)(b);

(d) omit paragraphs (8) and (9).

(5) In Part 3 (personal awards), in rule 11(2)(a) (allocation of pension), for “nominated partner” substitute “cohabiting partner”.

(6) In Chapter 1 of Part 4 (survivors’ pensions)—

(a) in the Chapter heading and in the heading to rule 1, for “nominated partners” substitute “cohabiting partners”;

(b) in rule 1, in the closing words of paragraph (1), for “nominated partner” substitute “cohabiting partner”;

(c) in the heading to rule 5, for “nominated partner” substitute “cohabiting partners”.

(7) In Part 7 (reservists), in rule 3 (awards on death or permanent disablement), in the closing words of paragraph (3), for “nominated partner” substitute “cohabiting partner”.

(8) In Part 11 (pensionable pay, pension contributions and purchase of additional service)—

(a) in rule 1 (pensionable pay)—

(i) in paragraphs (7) and (8), for “paragraph 33 of Schedule 2” substitute “paragraph 32 of Schedule 2”;

(ii) in paragraph (8), for “paragraph 33(4) of Schedule 2” substitute “paragraph 32(4) of Schedule 2”; and

(iii) in paragraph (9), for “paragraph 33(3) of Schedule 2” substitute “paragraph 32(3) of Schedule 2”;

(b) in rule 2 (final pensionable pay), in paragraph (2A)(b), for “paragraph 33(4) of Schedule 2” substitute “paragraph 32(4) of Schedule 2”.

(9) In Part 15, omit rules 5(3) and 6(3).

Amendment of the Firefighters’ Compensation Scheme (Wales) Order 2007

4.—(1) The Firefighters’ Compensation Scheme (Wales) Order 2007(11) is amended as follows.

(2) In article 4 (transitional provision: decisions and determinations made before 1 April 2006)—

(a) in paragraph (1), after “disablement” insert “or death”;

(b) in paragraph (2), after “1 April 2006,” insert “subject to the amendments made by paragraphs (3) and (4)”; and

(c) after paragraph (2) insert—

“(3) Omit rule C9 (effect of a new relationship).

(4) Where entitlement to a pension or any part of a gratuity under this Part was removed by virtue of rule C9 prior to 1 April 2015, entitlement to the pension or part of gratuity is reinstated with effect from 1 April 2015 and the pension or part of gratuity becomes payable as from that date.

(5) Nothing in paragraph (4) requires the making of any payment where the person to whom the payment would otherwise have been made has died prior to 1 April 2015.

(6) Where a payment is required to be made under paragraph (4) in respect of a person who has died between 1 April 2015 and 1 June 2018, the amount due must be paid to that person’s personal representatives.”

(3) In Schedule 1, in Part 3 (awards on death: spouses and civil partners)—

(a) omit rule 5 (effect of new relationship); and

(b) after rule 5, insert—

“Reinstatement of entitlement to pension and gratuity

5A.— (1) The revocation of rule 5 of this Part by the Firefighters’ Pension Schemes and Compensation Scheme (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2018 has the effect of reinstating entitlement to a pension or any part of a gratuity under this Part which was removed by virtue of paragraph (1) or (2) prior to 1 April 2015, with effect from and payable as from that date.

(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) requires the making of any payment where the person to whom the payment would otherwise have been made has died prior to 1 April 2015.

(3) Where a payment is required to be made under paragraph (1) in respect of a person who has died between 1 April 2015 and 1 June 2018, the amount due must be paid to that person’s personal representatives.”

Amendment of the Firefighters’ Pension (Wales) Scheme (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) Order 2016

5.  In the description of “A” in paragraph (3) of article 3 (transitional provision) of the Firefighters’ Pension (Wales) Scheme (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) Order 2016(12), after “contribution”, the first time that it appears, insert “(not including any contribution in relation to an additional pension benefit)”.

Alun Davies

Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services, one of the Welsh Ministers

9 May 2018