The Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999

Time for discharge of liability

30.—(1) A person subject to liability in respect of a pension credit shall discharge his liability before the end of the implementation period for the credit.

(2) Where the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme have not done what is required to discharge their liability in respect of a pension credit before the end of the implementation period for the credit—

(a) they shall, except in such cases as the Department may prescribe by regulations, notify the Authority of that fact within such period as the Department may so prescribe, and

(b) Article 10 of the Pensions Order (power of the Authority to impose civil penalties) shall apply to any trustee or manager who has failed to take all such steps as are reasonable to ensure that liability in respect of the credit was discharged before the end of the implementation period for it.

(3) If trustees or managers to whom paragraph (2)(a) applies fail to perform the obligation imposed by that provision, Article 10 of the Pensions Order shall apply to any trustee or manager who has failed to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the obligation was performed.

(4) On the application of the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme who are subject to liability in respect of a pension credit, the Authority may extend the implementation period for the credit for the purposes of this Article if it is satisfied that the application is made in such circumstances as the Department may prescribe by regulations.

(5) In this Article “the Authority” means the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority.