http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1993/49/section/3Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993 An Act to consolidate for Northern Ireland certain enactments relating to pension schemes, with corrections and minor improvements under the Consolidation of Enactments (Procedure) Act 1949.texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-05-05Expert Participation2026-04-06 Part III<CommentaryRef Ref="key-2ae0e236f424ffe745222d338c93f037"/> <Substitution ChangeId="key-d2958520cd7a1b7ff9b807c2b5b2c904-1581000533475" CommentaryRef="key-d2958520cd7a1b7ff9b807c2b5b2c904">Schemes that were contracted-out etc.</Substitution> and Effects on Members’ State Scheme Rights ...Chapter I <Substitution ChangeId="key-f01c0e01c3cb2d5e03204911fc8c60b0-1581000665469" CommentaryRef="key-f01c0e01c3cb2d5e03204911fc8c60b0">Schemes that were contracted-out: guaranteed minimum pensions and alteration of scheme rules etc.</Substitution> Preliminary Issue of contracting-out <CommentaryRef Ref="key-066e0eaf5091538a998a90b9b89c6b9c"/>... certificates.31Regulations shall provide for HMRC to issue certificates stating that the employment of an earner in employed earner's employment is contracted-out employment by reference to an occupational pension scheme.1AIn this Act such a certificate is referred to as “a contracting-out certificate”.2The regulations shall provide for contracting-out certificates to be issued to employers and to specify—athe employments which are to be treated, either generally or in relation to any specified description of earners, as contracted-out employments; andbthe occupational pension schemes by reference to which those employments are to be so treated.2AThe regulations may provide, in the case of contracting-out certificates issued before the principal appointed day, for their cancellation by virtue of the regulations—aat the end of a prescribed period beginning with (and including) that day, orbif prescribed conditions are not satisfied at any time in that period.but for them to continue to have effect until so cancelled; and the regulations may provide that a certificate having effect on and after that day by virtue of this subsection is to have effect, in relation to any earner’s service on or after that day, as if issued on or after that day.2BIn this Act “the principal appointed day” means the day designated by an order under Article 1 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 as the principal appointed day for the purposes of Part IV of that Order.3An occupational pension scheme is a contracted-out scheme in relation to an earner’s employment if it is for the time being specified in a contracting-out certificate in relation to that employment; and references in this Act to the contracting-out of a scheme are references to its inclusion in such a certificate.4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Except in prescribed circumstances, no contracting-out certificate ... shall have effect from a date earlier than that on which the certificate is issued.8References in this Act to a contracting-out certificate, a contracted-out scheme and to contracting-out in a context relating to a money purchase contracted-out scheme are to be construed in accordance with section 176A.Pt. 3: power to modify conferred (1.6.1996 for certain purposes otherwise 6.4.1997) by S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I. 22), art. 146(1); S.R. 1996/91, art. 2(f); S.R. 1997/192, art. 2Pt. 3: power to transfer functions conferred (1.4.1999) by 1999 c. 2, s. 23(1)(2)(6); S.I. 1999/527, art. 2(b), Sch. 2S. 3(2A)(2B) inserted (6.4.1996 for certain purposes otherwise 6.4.1997) by S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I. 22), art. 133(1); S.R. 1996/91, art. 2(d)(h), Sch. Pt. IVWords in s. 3 heading repealed (6.4.2012) by Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 1), ss. 13(4), 21(1), Sch. 4 para. 2(6), Sch. 6 Pt. 6 (with Sch. 4 Pt. 3); S.R. 2012/115, art. 2S. 3(8) added (6.4.2012) by Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 1), ss. 13(4), 21(1), Sch. 4 para. 2(5) (with Sch. 4 Pt. 3); S.R. 2012/115, art. 2Words in Pt. 3 heading omitted (6.4.2016) by virtue of Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 5), s. 53(3), Sch. 13 para. 3(b)S. 3(1)(1A) substituted for s. 3(1) (6.4.2012) by Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 1), ss. 13(4), 21(1), Sch. 4 para. 2(2) (with Sch. 4 Pt. 3); S.R. 2012/115, art. 2Pt. 3 modified (24.7.2014) by The Pensions (2012 Act) (Transitional, Consequential and Supplementary Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (S.R. 2014/204), regs. 1(1), 6(2)S. 3(4)-(6) repealed (6.4.2012) by Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 1), ss. 13(4), 21(1), Sch. 4 para. 2(3), Sch. 6 Pt. 6 (with Sch. 4 Pt. 3); S.R. 2012/115, art. 2Words in Pt. 3 heading substituted (6.4.2016) by Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 5), s. 53(3), Sch. 13 para. 3(a)Words in s. 3(7) repealed (6.4.2012) by Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 1), ss. 13(4), 21(1), Sch. 4 para. 2(4), Sch. 6 Pt. 6 (with Sch. 4 Pt. 3); S.R. 2012/115, art. 2Pt. 3 Ch. 1 heading substituted (6.4.2016) by Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 5), s. 53(3), Sch. 13 para. 4S. 3 repealed (6.4.2016) by Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (c. 5), s. 53(3), Sch. 13 para. 5 (with savings until 6.4.2019 by S.R. 2016/106, arts. 1(1)(2), 2(1)(2))