Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008

35.  After section 176 insert—

“176A.    Interpretation of references to money purchase contracted-out schemes or appropriate schemes after abolition date

(1) This section applies for the interpretation of this Act on and after the abolition date.

(2) An occupational pension scheme was a money purchase contracted-out scheme at a time before the abolition date if, at that time, the scheme was contracted-out by virtue of satisfying section 5(3) (as it then had effect).

(3) A money purchase contracted-out scheme was, at a time before the abolition date, a contracted-out scheme in relation to an earner’s employment if it was, at that time, specified in a contracting-out certificate in relation to that employment; and references to the contracting-out of a scheme are, in relation to a money purchase contracted-out scheme, references to its inclusion in such a certificate.

(4) Any reference to a contracting-out certificate is, in relation to a money purchase contracted-out scheme, a reference to a certificate issued by virtue of section 3, as it had effect before the abolition date, in relation to the employment of an earner in employed earner’s employment which was contracted-out by reference to that scheme.

(5) Any certificate so issued that was, at a time before the abolition date, in force in respect of an employed earner’s employment is to be taken as conclusive that the employment was, at that time, contracted-out employment.

(6) A personal pension scheme was an appropriate scheme at a time before the abolition date if, at that time, there was in force a certificate issued under section 3(1)(b) (as it then had effect) stating that the scheme was an appropriate scheme; and “appropriate scheme certificate” means such a certificate.

(7) Any appropriate scheme certificate in force in relation to a scheme at any time before the abolition date is to be taken as conclusive that the scheme was, at that time, an appropriate scheme.”.