The Teachers’ Superannuation (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Teachers’ Superannuation Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998.

Regulation 3 provides that where a person is entitled to be paid a teacher’s pension and takes up further employment within the scope of the regulations the employment will be pensionable unless the teacher elects (under regulation B4) otherwise. However, where a person was in such employment on 31^st January 2013, the employment is not pensionable unless an election to that effect is made, or he is enrolled into the scheme by the employer under Automatic Enrolment arrangements..

Regulation 4 provides for the reduction of the minimum age for membership of the scheme to 16 years.

Regulation 5 provides for members to make separate elections for each period of pensionable employment, and for automatic enrolment or re-enrolment in the pension scheme in accordance with the Pensions (No.2) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.

Regulation 7 provides for a qualifying period of 1 year for entitlement to retirement benefits for further employment when the teacher was entitled to be paid a teacher’s pension.

Regulation 8 amends regulation E4 to correct drafting errors.

Regulation 9 (1) to (4) reduces the minimum reduction in earnings required to qualify for phased retirement to 20%.

Regulations 9(5), 10 and 18 effect a change to the reference index for uprating various figures from the retail prices index to the consumer prices index.

Regulation 11 amends regulation E15 to apply only to teachers who have previously retired due to incapacity, and who have undertaken further employment after ceasing to be incapacitated

Regulation 12 introduces a new regulation E15A to provide for the entitlement to further retirement benefits of a teacher, other than a teacher who has retired due to incapacity, who ceases to be employed in further employment when the teacher was entitled to be paid a teacher’s pension.

Regulation 13 amends regulation E22 so that further employment when the teacher was entitled to be paid a teacher’s pension is treated separately from other employment in calculating family benefits.

Regulation 14 amends regulation E26 to provide for a qualifying period of 1 year for entitlement to family benefits for further employment when the teacher was entitled to be paid a teacher’s pension.

Regulation 15 amends the date of an Actuarial Review.

Regulation 16 provides that the rate of the employers’ contributions is fixed at 13.6% of the employee’s salary.

Regulation 17 adds a definition of “consumer prices index” and amends the definition of “Entitled” in Schedule 1.