The Police Pensions Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Forfeiture: offences committed by a member’s beneficiary

210.—(1) If the beneficiary of a deceased member of this scheme is convicted of a relevant criminal offence, the pension supervising authority may to the extent the pension supervising authority considers appropriate, require the scheme manager to withhold benefits payable to the beneficiary in respect of the member.

(2) The scheme manager may withhold benefits but may only withhold that part of a pension that exceeds any guaranteed minimum to which the beneficiary is entitled under section 13 of the 1993 Act.

(3) The pension supervising authority may to the extent that in its discretion it thinks fit restore to the member or apply for the benefit of an eligible child or surviving adult of the member any amount of pension that has been forfeited under this regulation.

(4) If the scheme manager withholds all of the benefits payable to a beneficiary, Part 9 (death benefits) applies as if the beneficiary had died before the member.

(5) In this regulation, “relevant criminal offence” means—

(a) the murder of the member;

(b) the manslaughter of the member; or

(c) any other offence of which the unlawful killing of the member is an element.