Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008

PART 1 CATEGORY A AND B RETIREMENT PENSIONS: SINGLE CONTRIBUTION CONDITION

1.—(1) Section 44 of the Contributions and Benefits Act (Category A retirement pension) is amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (1) for paragraph (b) substitute—

“(b) he satisfies the relevant conditions or condition;”.

(3) After subsection (1) insert—

“(1A) In subsection (1)(b) above “the relevant conditions or condition” means—

(a) in a case where the person attains pensionable age before 6th April 2010, the conditions specified in Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5;

(b) in a case where the person attains pensionable age on or after that date, the condition specified in Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5A.”.

2.—(1) Section 48A of the Contributions and Benefits Act (Category B retirement pension for married person or civil partner) is amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (2) for paragraph (b) substitute—

“(b) satisfies the relevant conditions or condition.”.

(3) After subsection (2) insert—

“(2ZA) In subsection (2)(b) above “the relevant conditions or condition” means—

(a) in a case where the spouse is a married man who attains pensionable age before 6th April 2010, the conditions specified in Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5;

(b) in a case where the spouse attains pensionable age on or after that date, the condition specified in Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5A.”.

(4) In subsection (2B) for paragraph (b) substitute—

“(b) satisfies the condition specified in Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5A.”.

3.—(1) Section 48B of the Contributions and Benefits Act (Category B retirement pension for surviving spouse or civil partner) is amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (1) for “the conditions specified in Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5” substitute “the relevant conditions or condition”.

(3) After subsection (1) insert—

“(1ZA) In subsection (1) above “the relevant conditions or condition” means—

(a) in a case where the spouse—

(i) died before 6th April 2010, or

(ii) died on or after that date having attained pensionable age before that date,

the conditions specified in Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5;

(b) in a case where the spouse died on or after that date without having attained pensionable age before that date, the condition specified in Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5A.”.

(4) In subsection (1A) for “the conditions specified in Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5” substitute “the condition specified in Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5A”.

4.  In section 60 of the Contributions and Benefits Act (complete or partial failure to satisfy contribution conditions) after subsection (8) add—

“(9) References in this section to a Category A or Category B retirement pension do not include one to which Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5A applies.”.

5.  After section 60 of the Contributions and Benefits Act insert—

“60A.    Failure to satisfy contribution condition in paragraph 5A of Schedule 3

(1) Subsection (2) below applies if the contribution condition in Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5A is not satisfied in relation to a benefit to which that paragraph applies.

(2) A person who would have been entitled to the benefit had the condition been satisfied shall nevertheless be entitled to a prescribed proportion of that benefit in respect of each of the years of the contributor’s working life that falls within subsection (3) below.

(3) A year of the contributor’s working life falls within this subsection if it is a year in relation to which the requirements in paragraph 5A(2)(a) and (b) of Part 1 of Schedule 3 are satisfied.

(4) “The contributor” means the person by whom the condition is to be satisfied.

(5) In any case where—

(a) an employed earner who is married or a civil partner dies on or after 6th April 2010 as a result of—

(i) a personal injury of a kind mentioned in section 94(1) below, or

(ii) a disease or injury such as is mentioned in section 108(1) below, and

(b) the contribution condition specified in Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5A is not satisfied in respect of the employed earner,

that condition shall be taken to be satisfied for the purposes of the entitlement of the employed earner’s widow, widower or surviving civil partner to a Category B retirement pension payable by virtue of section 48B above.

(6) In subsections (1) to (3) above, any reference—

(a) to the contribution condition in Schedule 3, Part 1, paragraph 5A, or

(b) to the requirements of paragraph 5A(2)(a) and (b),

includes a reference to that condition or those requirements as modified by virtue of paragraph 5A(4).”.