The Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

Resolution of disputes

50.—(1) The trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme must secure that such arrangements as are required by or under this Article for the resolution of disagreements between prescribed persons about matters in relation to the scheme are made and implemented.

(2) The arrangements must—

(a) provide for a person, on the application of a complainant of a prescribed description, to give a decision on such a disagreement, and

(b) require the trustees or managers, on the application of such a complainant following a decision given in accordance with sub-paragraph (a), to reconsider the matter in question and confirm the decision or give a new decision in its place.

(3) Regulations may make provision about—

(a) applications for decisions under such arrangements, and

(b) the procedure for reaching and giving such decisions,

including the times by which applications are to be made and decisions given.

(4) Applications and decisions under paragraph (2) must be in writing.

(5) Arrangements under paragraph (1) must, in the case of existing schemes, have effect as from the commencement of this Article.

(6) If, in the case of any occupational pension scheme, such arrangements as are required by this Article to be made have not been made, or are not being implemented, Article 10 applies to any of the trustees or managers who have failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to secure that such arrangements are made or implemented.

(7) This Article does not apply to a scheme of a prescribed description and paragraph (1) does not apply to prescribed matters in relation to the scheme.