The Occupational Pension Schemes (Contracting-out) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Service in a salary related contracted-out scheme that does not qualify for further benefits

28.—(1) This regulation applies in cases in which any description of benefit under a salary related contracted-out scheme is subject to a limit (however imposed) operating so as to prevent service beyond a particular length from qualifying for further benefits.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), in cases to which this regulation applies, the employment of an earner in employed earner’s employment shall be treated as contracted-out employment in relation to him, notwithstanding that his further service in the employment does not qualify him for further benefits under the scheme, where the following conditions are satisfied—

(a) the earner’s service in employed earner’s employment has qualified him for benefit up to a limit imposed by the scheme;

(b) the annual rate of the benefit by way of pension for which that service has qualified him is not less than half the pensionable earnings on which it is calculated, and

(c) the total benefits payable under the scheme (other than benefits attributable to voluntary contributions within the meaning of section 107 of the Act) are the same as or more favourable than the guaranteed minimum pension and any benefits arising in respect of section 5(2B) rights to which the earner would be entitled in respect of service in that employment and any linked qualifying service during which the earner was in contracted-out employment and any periods of service in that employment which would be contracted-out employment by virtue of this regulation.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(c) “total benefits” includes benefits which have accrued to the earner in respect of service in employment whether or not contracted-out employment and whether with the same or another employer, except any part of such benefits which consists of equivalent pension benefits for the purposes of Part III of the National Insurance Act (Northern Ireland) 1966(1).

(1)

1966 c. 6 (N.I.); the relevant provisions were repealed by the Social Security Act 1973 (c. 38) but continued in force by S.R. 1975 No. 48