Finance Act 2004

“Primary protection”

10 (1) The value of the individual’s relevant crystallised pension rights on 5th April 2006 is—

25 × ARP

where ARP is an amount equal to the annual rate at which any relevant existing pension is payable to the individual on 5th April 2006 or, if more than one relevant existing pension is payable to the individual on that date, to the aggregate of the annual rates at which each of the relevant existing pensions is so payable.

(2) “Relevant existing pension” means—

(a) a pension under a retirement benefits scheme approved for the purposes of Chapter 1 of Part 14 of ICTA,

(b) a pension under a former approved superannuation fund (defined as for the purposes of paragraph 1(1)(b)),

(c) a pension under a relevant statutory scheme, as defined in section 611A of ICTA, or a pension scheme treated by the Inland Revenue as if it were such a relevant statutory scheme,

(d) an annuity (or pension in the form of income drawdown) under an annuity contract by means of which benefits provided under a pension scheme within paragraph (a), (b) or (c) have been secured,

(e) a pension under a scheme or fund mentioned in section 613(4)(b) to (d) of ICTA (Parliamentary pension schemes or funds),

(f) an annuity under an annuity contract or trust scheme approved under section 620 or 621 of ICTA or a substituted contract within the meaning of section 622(3) of ICTA,

(g) an annuity acquired using funds held for the purposes of a personal pension scheme approved under Chapter 4 of Part 14 of ICTA, or

(h) a right to make income withdrawals under section 634A of ICTA.

(3) But a pension, annuity or right is not a relevant existing pension if entitlement to it was attributable to the death of any person.

(4) In the case of a pension within sub-paragraph (2) taking the form of income drawdown, the annual rate at which the pension is payable on 5th April 2006 is the amount which, on that date, is the maximum annual amount that may be drawn down by the individual as income in accordance with the pension scheme or contract concerned.

(5) In the case of a right which is a relevant existing pension by virtue of sub-paragraph (2)(h), the annual rate at which the pension is payable on 5th April 2006 is the maximum amount of income withdrawals that may be made by the individual in the period of 12 months referred to in section 634A(4) of ICTA during which 5th April 2006 falls.