The Police Pensions (Amendment) (Scotland) Regulations 2020

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

This Order amends the Police Pensions Regulations 1987 (“the 1987 Regulations”), the Police Pensions (Additional Voluntary Contributions) Regulations 1991 (“the 1991 Regulations”), the Police (Injury Benefit) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (“the 2007 Injury Benefit Regulations”), the Police Pensions (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (“the 2007 Regulations”), and the Police Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (“the 2015 Regulations”).

Regulation 3 allows police officers who are members of the scheme constituted by the 1987 Regulations to make contributions to buy pensionable service in relation to any period of unpaid maternity support leave during the period from 3 April 2011 to 1 September 2014. Regulation 9 makes equivalent provision in relation to police officers who are members of the scheme constituted by the 2007 Regulations. Transitional provision is made by regulations 6 and 10 in this regard. These amendments have effect from 3 April 2011.

The effect of the amendments made by regulations 4 and 5 is to bring the benefits under the scheme constituted by the 1987 Regulations payable to survivors of civil partnerships and same sex marriages into line with the benefits payable to widows of different-sex marriages. Regulation 8 makes a corresponding amendment to the 2007 Injury Benefit Regulations. Women police officers who paid lower contributions in anticipation of lower survivor benefits are enabled to elect to pay additional contributions to be able to access these higher survivor benefits. Regulations 5 and 8 have effect from the date from which civil partnerships were introduced, being 5 December 2005.

The effect of the amendment made by regulation 7 is to add Utmost Life and Pensions Limited to the list of approved additional voluntary contributions providers specified in the 1991 Regulations.

The amendments made by regulation 11(2) bring the benefits payable under the 2015 Regulations to officers with part-time service qualifying for ill-health pensions into line with those payable under the 2007 Regulations, and have effect from 1 April 2015. The amendments made by regulation 11(3) remove the current time limit after which the rates of member contributions specified in the 2015 Regulations cease to apply.

No business and regulatory impact assessment has been produced for this instrument as no impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies is foreseen.