The Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2000

This Order brings into force further provisions of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000, as follows:

Section 42 (which provides for the disclosure of certain information about a person’s state retirement pension) is brought into force on 1st December 2000 for purposes of authorising the making of regulations, and on 1st January 2001 for other purposes (article 2(1)).

Sections 37, 51 and 53 (which make provision in connection with, respectively, the revaluation of earnings factors, the indexation of investment-linked annuities, and the jurisdiction of the Pensions Ombudsman) are brought into force on 1st December 2000, together with section 73 in so far as it provides for the reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee of proposals to make regulations under section 42. Certain repeals made by Schedule 9 which are associated with the commencement of section 53 are also brought into force on 1st December 2000 (article 2(2)).

Subsection (1), and part of subsection (2), of section 52 (which provides for members of pension schemes to be supplied with certain additional information) and miscellaneous amendments in Part I of Schedule 5 relating to occupational and personal pension schemes are brought into force on 1st January 2001, together with associated repeals in Schedule 9 (article 2(3)). (The relevant paragraphs of Schedule 5, and the nature of the miscellaneous amendments made by them, are set out in sub-paragraph (b) of article 2(3).)

Section 40 (which provides for regulations in connection with the treatment of persons as being precluded from regular employment by responsibilities at home) is brought into force on 8th January 2001 (article 2(4)). Part II of Schedule 5 (which provides for an alternative to the anti-franking rules for occupational pension schemes) is brought into force on 12th February 2001 for the purpose of making regulations and orders, and 1st June 2001 for all other purposes (article 2(5)).

Article 3 amends an earlier order as it relates to the purposes for which sections 30-35 (state second pension) are brought into force on 8th January 2001.

The impact on business of the commencement of provisions in the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 is detailed in the Regulatory Impact Assessment (as revised) relating to the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill (which was introduced in the House of Commons on 1st December 1999). A copy of that assessment has been placed in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament and can be obtained from the Department of Social Security, Regulatory Impact Unit, 3rd Floor, The Adelphi, 1-11 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6HT.