The Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025

This Statutory Rule has been made partly in consequence of a defect in S.R. 2022 No. 192 and is being issued free of charge to all known recipients of that Statutory Rule

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2025 No. 175

Pensions

The Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025

Made

12th November 2025

Coming into operation

4th December 2025

The Department for Communities makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 109(1) and (3) and 177(2) to (4) of the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993(1), and now vested in it(2), Article 236(1) and (2) of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 2005(3) and sections 97(1) and (2) and 102(2) and (3) of the Pension Schemes Act 2021(4).

Citation, commencement and interpretation N.I.

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 and shall come into operation on 4th December 2025.

(2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(5) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 1 in operation at 4.12.2025, see reg. 1(1)

Amendment of the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Consultation by Employers) Regulations N.I.

2.  In regulation 10(1) of the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Consultation by Employers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006(6) (listed changes: exclusions)—

(a) in sub-paragraph (ac)(7) omit “which”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (ad) omit “which”.

Commencement Information

I2 Reg. 2 in operation at 4.12.2025, see reg. 1(1)

Amendment of the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations N.I.

3.—(1) The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014(8) are amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (9).

(2) In regulation 4 (application of these Regulations)—

(a) in paragraph (6) after “and (5)” insert “and regulations 8A, 17A, 22A, 22B and 29B”;

(b) in paragraph (7)(9) after “or (5)” insert “or regulations 8A, 17A, 22A, 22B or 29B”.

(3) In regulation 8A(3)(10) (scheme closure: collective money purchase schemes) for “38” substitute “37”.

(4) In regulation 26(4A)(11) (giving information and documents) after “regulation 29A” insert “or 29B”.

(5) In regulation 29B(12) (additional publication requirements for collective money purchase schemes)—

(a) in paragraph (4) omit “5, 6,”;

(b) in paragraph (5) omit “before or”;

(c) in paragraph (6) omit “before or”.

(6) In Schedule 2 (basic information)—

(a) in the shoulder note after “8(1)” insert “, 8A(2) and (3)”;

(b) for Part 4(13) (scheme closure: collective money purchase schemes) substitute—

“PART 4 N.I. Scheme closure: collective money purchase schemes

30.   A statement that a decision has been made to pursue continuity option 3.

31.   A summary of the reasons for the decision in paragraph 30.

32.   An estimate of when information will be provided in accordance with paragraphs 34 to 37.

33.   A statement that the scheme will continue to operate in respect of its current members and beneficiaries.

34.   A statement confirming that the scheme will be closed, which must include whether it will be closed to new contributions or new members (or both).

35.   The date the scheme will begin to operate as a closed scheme.

36.   A statement explaining any impact that the closure will have in relation to accrued rights to benefits under the scheme, including any differences in impact for active, deferred and pensioner members.

37.   The arrangements for—

(a) the future operation of the scheme, and

(b) where the scheme will be closed to new contributions, any scheme or section of a scheme to which future contributions may be made.”.

(7) In Schedule 6A(14) (statements of benefits: collective money purchase benefits)—

(a) omit paragraphs 5, 6, 9 and 22;

(b) in paragraph 17(a) omit sub-head (i).

(8) In Schedule 7 (information to be given by schemes that relates to accessing benefits and to benefit adjustments(15)) omit paragraph 20.

(9) In Schedule 9B(16) (statements to be published by collective money purchase schemes)—

(a) in paragraph 1(a)—

(i) omit “specified in the rules of the scheme”;

(ii) omit “collective money purchase”;

(b) omit paragraph 13.

Commencement Information

I3 Reg. 3 in operation at 4.12.2025, see reg. 1(1)

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Communities on 12th November 2025

(L.S.)

David Tarr

A senior officer of the Department for Communities

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Regulation 2 amends the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Consultation by Employers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 to correct a minor drafting error in regulation 10 made by the Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Modifications and Consequential and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022 (S.R. 2022 No. 192).

Regulation 3 amends the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 to omit certain requirements which are no longer considered to be necessary, to correct minor drafting errors and to make other adjustments.

As these Regulations, in so far as they are made under the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 2005, make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision contained in regulations made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in relation to Great Britain, the requirement for consultation does not apply by virtue of Article 289(2)(e) of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 2005.

(1)

1993 c. 49; section 109(1) was amended by section 48(1) of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4 (N.I.))

(2)

See Article 8(b) of S.R. 1999 No. 481 and section 1(7) of the Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (c. 5 (N.I.))

(3)

S.I. 2005/255 (N.I. 1)

(4)

2021 c. 1

(5)

1954 c. 33 (N.I.)

(6)

S.R. 2006 No. 48; regulation 10(1) was amended by regulation 13(1) of S.R. 2015 No. 309, regulation 3 of S.R. 2016 No. 144 and regulation 11(a) of S.R. 2022 No. 192

(7)

Sub-paragraphs (ac) and (ad) were inserted by regulation 11(a) of S.R. 2022 No. 192

(8)

S.R. 2014 No. 79; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 2015 No. 154, S.R. 2018 No. 53 and S.R. 2022 Nos. 115 and 192

(9)

Paragraph (7) was amended by regulation 4(4) of S.R. 2015 No. 154 and regulation 2(3) of S.R. 2022 No. 115

(10)

Regulation 8A was inserted by regulation 13(5) of S.R. 2022 No. 192

(11)

Paragraph (4A) was inserted by regulation 3(4) of S.R. 2018 No. 53

(12)

Regulation 29B was inserted by regulation 13(13) of S.R. 2022 No. 192

(13)

Part 4 was added by regulation 13(14)(d) of S.R. 2022 No. 192

(14)

Schedule 6A was inserted by regulation 13(16) of S.R. 2022 No. 192

(15)

The heading to Schedule 7 was amended by regulation 13(17)(a) of S.R. 2022 No. 192

(16)

Schedule 9B was inserted by regulation 13(19) of S.R. 2022 No. 192