The Pensions Dashboards (Amendment) Regulations 2023

Amendment of regulation 17

6.  In regulation 17 (deferred connection)—

(a) in paragraph (1)—

(i) in the opening words, for “staging deadline that applies to a pension scheme by virtue of regulation 15(2)(a)” substitute “connection deadline that applies to a pension scheme by virtue of regulation 15(2)(aa)”;

(ii) omit sub-paragraph (a);

(iii) before sub-paragraph (b), insert—

“(aa) no more than 12 months has passed since the coming into force of regulation 15(2)(aa);”;

(iv) at the end of sub-paragraph (b), for “;” substitute “.”;

(v) omit sub-paragraph (c);

(b) in paragraph (2)—

(i) in the opening words, for “staging deadline” substitute “connection deadline”;

(ii) omit sub-paragraph (a);

(iii) before sub-paragraph (b), insert—

“(aa) submit evidence to demonstrate that at least one of the following conditions applies—

(i) that before the coming into force of regulation 15(2)(aa), they had embarked on a programme to transfer the data held by the pension scheme to a new administrator;

(ii) that before the coming into force of regulation 15(2)(aa), they had entered into a contract containing an obligation to retender the administration of the scheme, and that the timetable for this is reasonable and conflicts with the connection deadline;”;

(iv) in sub-paragraph (b), in the opening words, for “staging deadline” substitute “connection deadline”;

(c) in paragraph (3), for “staging deadline”, in each place it occurs, substitute “connection deadline”;

(d) for paragraph (4), substitute—

“(4) Where permission is granted to defer the connection deadline under paragraph (3)(a), the agreed deadline remains fixed, unless all the members of the scheme become pensioner members.”;

(e) in paragraph (5)—

(i) in the opening words, for “staging deadline” substitute “connection deadline”;

(ii) in sub-paragraph (b), for “within the connection window referred to in paragraph (4)(b)” substitute “by no later than the agreed deadline”.