The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Contributions) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012

Made27th February 2012

Coming into force1st April 2012

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 10(1), (3), (4) and (5) of the Fire Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1984 1, and now vested in it and with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel 2 in accordance with Article 10(1) of that Order makes the following Order:

Citation and commencement

1.

This Order may be cited as the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Contributions) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2012 and shall come into operation on 1st April 2012.

Amendment of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 2007

2.

The Annex to the Firefighters Pension Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 2007 3 (in which the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme is set out), shall be amended in accordance with article 3.

3.

In Part G (pensionable pay and contributions) in article 57 (pension contributions) for paragraph (2) substitute–

“(2)
(a)
Subject to sub-paragraph (d), from 1^st April 2012, the contribution rate is to be determined on the basis of the pensionable pay of a regular firefighter, in accordance with the following table:
Pensionable pay band
Contribution rate from 1^st April 2012
Up to and including £15,000
11.0%
More than £15,000 and up to and including £21,000
11.6%
More than £21,000 and up to and including £30,000
12.3%
More than £30,000 and up to and including £40,000
12.4%
More than £40,000 and up to and including £50,000
12.6%
More than £50,000 and up to and including £60,000
12.8%
More than £60,000 and up to and including £100,000
13.0%
More than £100,000 and up to and including £120,000
13.1%
More than £120,000
13.3%
(b)
Subject to sub-paragraph (d) within the period of 30 days beginning with 1^st April 2012 the Board shall notify the firefighter member of the contribution rate determined under sub-paragraph (a).
(c)
Where the contribution rate under sub-paragraph (a) relates to a part-time regular firefighter, the contribution rate which applies to him shall be determined in accordance with that sub-paragraph on the basis of the pensionable pay of a whole-time regular firefighter.
(d)
Where in the course of the year there is a permanent change to the terms and conditions of a regular firefighter’s employment which affects his pensionable pay during the year such that the firefighter falls into a different pensionable pay band to that applied at the beginning of the year, the contribution rate shall be adjusted from the date that the pensionable pay is changed, as notified to the firefighter by the Board, to that of the applicable new band.
(e)
For the purposes of determining the appropriate pensionable pay band in the table set out in sub-paragraph (a), pensionable pay does not include any CPD payments paid to a regular firefighter by the Board under article 16C(5) 4 but those payments will be included in pensionable pay for the purposes of calculating the pension contribution to be paid.”

Pensionable pay band	Contribution rate from 1^st April 2012
Up to and including £15,000	11.0%
More than £15,000 and up to and including £21,000	11.6%
More than £21,000 and up to and including £30,000	12.3%
More than £30,000 and up to and including £40,000	12.4%
More than £40,000 and up to and including £50,000	12.6%
More than £50,000 and up to and including £60,000	12.8%
More than £60,000 and up to and including £100,000	13.0%
More than £100,000 and up to and including £120,000	13.1%
More than £120,000	13.3%

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 27^th February 2012.

Noel McCann

A senior officer of the

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

The Department of Finance and Personnel approves this Order.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on 27^th February 2012.

Grace Nesbitt

A senior officer of the

Department of Finance and Personnel

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order increases employee pension contribution rates in the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 2007 and introduces tiered contribution rates into the firefighters’ pension scheme from 1^st April 2012.