The Pensions Increase (Review) Order 1997

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

Under section 59 of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 as amended, and as modified by section 59A of that Act, the Treasury (in whom the functions conferred by those provisions are now vested) are required to provide by order for the increase in the rates of public service pensions. The increase is the percentage (or in some circumstances a fraction of the percentage) by which the Secretary of State for Social Security has, by direction given under the provisions of section 151(1) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992, increased the sums referred to in section 150(1)(c) of that Act. These are the sums which are the additional pensions in long term benefits, namely the additional pension entitlements accruing to employees in respect of earnings after 5th April 1978.

For pensions which began before 8th April 1996 the increase is 2.1 per cent. For pensions which began on or after 8th April 1996 the increases are as follows—

Pensions Beginning	Percentage Increase
8th April 1996 to 22nd April 1996	2.1%
23rd April 1996 to 22nd May 1996	1.93%
23rd May 1996 to 22nd June 1996	1.75%
23rd June 1996 to 22nd July 1996	1.58%
23rd July 1996 to 22nd August 1996	1.4%
23rd August 1996 to 22nd September 1996	1.23%
23rd September 1996 to 22nd October 1996	1.05%
23rd October 1996 to 22nd November 1996	0.88%
23rd November 1996 to 22nd December 1996	0.7%
23rd December 1996 to 22nd January 1997	0.53%
23rd January 1997 to 22nd February 1997	0.35%
23rd February 1997 to 22nd March 1997	0.18%

Deferred lump sums beginning on or before 22nd March 1997 and which become payable after 7th April 1997 receive the same percentage increase as pensions which began on the same date. Article 4 of the Order provides for increases on certain deferred lump sums which became payable on or after 8th April 1996 and before 7th April 1997.

The Order also makes provision for the amount by reference to which any increase in the rate of an official pension is to be calculated to be reduced by the amount equal to the rate of the guaranteed minimum pension entitlement deriving from the employment which gives rise to the official pension. This is required by section 59(5) of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975 but by virtue of section 59A of that Act and the Transfer of Functions (Minister for the Civil Service and Treasury) Order 1981 the Treasury are empowered to direct that in respect of specified cases or classes of case either no such reduction be made or the reduction shall be less than the rate of the guaranteed minimum pension. Section 59(5ZA) was inserted into section 59 by section 5 of the Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1990. This applies section 59(5) to a widow’s or widower’s pension.