Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2025

2025 CHAPTER 2

An Act to make provision about the extension of pensions automatic enrolment to jobholders under the age of 22; to make provision about the lower qualifying earnings threshold for automatic enrolment; and for connected purposes.

[18th June 2025]

BE IT ENACTED by being passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly and assented to by His Majesty as follows:

Automatic enrolment: persons and earnings affected

1.—(1) The Pensions (No. 2) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 3 (automatic enrolment), after subsection (1) insert—

“(1A) The Department may by regulations amend subsection (1)(a) so as to decrease the age for the time being specified in that paragraph.”.

(3) In section 5 (automatic re-enrolment), after subsection (1B) insert—

“(1C) The Department may by regulations amend subsections (1)(a) and (1A)(a) so as to decrease either or both of the ages for the time being specified in those paragraphs.”.

(4) After section 13 (qualifying earnings) insert—

““13A.    Qualifying earnings: reduction or removal of lower limit

(1) The Department may by regulations—

(a) amend section 13(1)(a) so as to reduce the amount for the time being specified in that paragraph, or

(b) repeal—

(i) section 9 (workers without qualifying earnings), and

(ii) section 13(1)(a).

(2) Regulations under this section may include such amendments, repeals or revocations of any provision of this Act or any other statutory provision as appear to the Department to be expedient in consequence of the repeal of sections 9 and 13(1)(a).”.

(5) In section 112(4) (orders or regulations subject to the confirmatory procedure), in paragraph (a), after “section” insert “3(1A), 5(1C), 13A,”.

Report on the operation of powers affecting age and qualifying earnings

2.—(1) The Department for Communities must lay before the Assembly a report setting out its assessment of the effects of any changes made by regulations under section 3(1A), 5(1C) or 13A of the Pensions (No. 2) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.

(2) The report must be laid at least 36 months, and no more than 42 months, after the coming into operation of the first regulations made under any of section 3(1A), 5(1C) or 13A of that Act.

Commencement and short title

3.—(1) Sections 1 and 2 come into operation on such day or days as the Department for Communities may by order appoint.

(2) This section comes into operation on the day after this Act receives Royal Assent.

(3) This Act may be cited as the Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2025.