The Teachers’ Pensions (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These regulations, which come into operation on 1st April 2015, amend the Teachers’ Superannuation Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 to—

1.

remove Regulations G2, G3 and G4 of Part G (Finance) of the 1998 Regulations as they are superseded by the 2014 Regulations (regulation 4); and

2.

provide for new employers’ contribution rates (regulation 5);

The Regulations also amend the Teachers’ Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 to—

1.

correct drafting errors (regulations 7 to 11, 14 to 16 and 23(a)(i));

2.

provide for new employers’ contributions (regulation 11);

3.

amend Schedule 3 (transitional arrangements) to clarify the circumstances in which existing scheme retirement benefits are payable to transition members post-transition out of the existing scheme or the new scheme (regulations 17 to 24). They insert new paragraphs 33A and 33B which provide that any existing scheme ill-health retirement benefits to which transition members are entitled are paid by the new scheme before the member’s existing scheme normal pension age. From normal pension age the existing scheme retirement pension is paid by the existing scheme; and

4.

introduce a new Schedule 4 including provisions for scheme valuations and the employer cost cap, including the procedure to be followed in the event of a breach of the parameters for the cap cost of the scheme (regulation 14).

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as it has no impact on business or civil society organisations. The instrument has a minimal impact on the public sector.