Church of England Pensions Measure 2018

17 Increase in rate of pension

(1) The rate of a member’s pension under the past service scheme increases each year by the lower of—

(a) the percentage figure which appears to the Board to be the percentage increase in the general level of prices in Great Britain during whatever reference period the Board decides to use, and

(b) 5%.

(2) If it appears to the Board that there has not been an increase in the general level of prices in Great Britain during the reference period concerned, the percentage figure for the purposes of subsection (1)(a) is 0%.

(3) An increase in the rate of pension takes effect on whatever date the Board determines; but—

(a) the interval between increases must not exceed 12 months, and

(b) if the interval is less than 12 months, the increase must not exceed the percentage which bears the same proportion to 5% as the reference period used under subsection (1)(a) bears to 12 months.

(4) The Church Commissioners may give the Board directions for making increases in the rate of pension payable under the past service scheme to members of the scheme, in addition to any increase under subsection (1).

(5) A direction under subsection (4) may relate generally to all members of the scheme or only to members of a specified description; and a description of members may, in particular, be by reference to when the entitlement to receive a pension under the scheme begins or began.

(6) The Board may, in the case of a particular member of the past service scheme, augment that member’s pension under the scheme by such amount and for such period as it agrees with the Church Commissioners.

(7) If the Board considers, in the case of a particular member of the past service scheme, that its estimate of that member’s total income for a particular year is, or is likely to be, less than the amount which the Board has determined for that year with the agreement of the Church Commissioners, it may pay the member a supplementary pension.

(8) The determination of the amount of a supplementary pension must be made in accordance with the general directions of the Church Commissioners; but the amount must not exceed whatever is required to bring the member’s total income for the year in question up to the amount determined for that year under subsection (7).

(9) In the case of a member who is living with his or her spouse or civil partner, the references in subsections (7) and (8) to the member’s total income are references to the aggregate of the member’s total income and the spouse’s or civil partner’s total income.

(10) “Total income” means income from all sources; but in estimating a person’s total income, the Board may disregard such part of that person’s income as it thinks fit in the special circumstances of the case.