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Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland


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2004 No. 104

HEALTH AND PERSONAL SOCIAL SERVICES

The Health and Personal Social Services (Superannuation Scheme and Additional Voluntary Contributions) (Pension Sharing) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

  Made 11th March 2004 
  Coming into operation 11th May 2004 

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety[1] in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Articles 12(1), (2), (2A) and (3) and 14(1), (2), (3) and (3A) of, and Schedule 3 to, the Superannuation (Northern Ireland) Order 1972[2], and Article 39 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999[3] and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, after consulting with such representatives of persons likely to be affected by these Regulations as appear to it to be appropriate as required by Article 12(4) of that Order, and with the consent of the Department of Finance and Personnel, hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and retrospective effect
     1.  - (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Health and Personal Social Services (Superannuation Scheme and Additional Voluntary Contributions) (Pension Sharing) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004.

    (2) These Regulations shall come into operation on 11th May 2004 and shall have effect from 1st May 2001.

Interpretation
    
2. In these Regulations -

Amendment of the Superannuation Scheme Regulations
     3. The Superannuation Scheme Regulations shall be amended in accordance with Schedule 1.

Amendment of the AVC Regulations
    
4. The AVC Regulations shall be amended in accordance with Schedule 2.



Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on


11th March 2004.

L.S.


D. C. Bingham
Senior Officer of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety


The Department of Finance and Personnel hereby consents to the foregoing regulations



Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on


11th March 2004.

L.S.


Ciaran Doran
Senior Officer of the Department of Finance and Personnel


SCHEDULE 1
Regulation 3


AMENDMENT OF THE SUPERANNUATION SCHEME REGULATIONS


Amendment of Regulation 2
     1. In regulation 2 (Interpretation) of the Superannuation Scheme Regulations there shall be inserted in the appropriate places in alphabetical order the following definitions -

Insertion of new Regulation 83B
     2. After regulation 83A[12] (Participators in Pilot Schemes) there shall be inserted the following regulation -

Insertion of new Schedule
     3. After Schedule 2 there shall be inserted the following Schedule -





SCHEDULE 2
Regulation 4


AMENDMENT OF THE AVC REGULATIONS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO PENSION SHARING ON DIVORCE


Application of the AVC Regulations to a person entitled to a pension credit or a pension credit member
     1. Except as provided for in this Schedule the AVC Regulations shall not apply to a pension credit or to a pension credit member.

Amendment of Regulation 2
     2. In regulation 2 (Interpretation) of the AVC Regulations there shall be inserted in the appropriate places in alphabetical order the following definitions -

Amendment of regulation 13
     3. In regulation 13(1) and (2) (Benefit limits) for "the Schedule" in each place where those words appear there shall be substituted "Schedule 1" and accordingly the Schedule to the AVC Regulations shall become Schedule 1.

Amendment of Regulation 15
     4. In regulation 15 (Payments by the Department) -

Insertion of new regulation 17A
     5. After regulation 17 (Payments in respect of deceased persons) there shall be inserted the following regulation -

Insertion of new Schedule
     6. After Schedule 1 there shall be inserted the following Schedule -





EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)


These Regulations further amend the Health and Personal Social Services (Superannuation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 ("the Superannuation Scheme Regulations") which provide for the superannuation of persons engaged in the Health and Personal Social Services, and amend the Health and Personal Social Services (Superannuation) (Additional Voluntary Contributions) Regulations (Northern Ireland 1999 ("the AVC Regulations") which make provision for the payment of additional voluntary contributions by persons who are members of the HPSS Superannuation Scheme, or by their employers, in order to secure additional pension benefits.

The Regulations shall have retrospective effect from 1st May 2001, as authorised by Article 14(1) of the Superannuation (Northern Ireland) Order 1972.

The amendments make provision in relation to rights resulting in the payment of pension credit benefit to or in respect of those entitled to pension credits as a result of the sharing of pensions following divorce or nullity of marriage.

Regulations 1 and 2 provide for citation, commencement, retrospective effect and interpretation.

Regulation 3 and Schedule 1 amend the Superannuation Scheme Regulations. Paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 inserts new definitions into regulation 2 of the Superannuation Scheme Regulations.

Paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 inserts a new regulation 83B into the Superannuation Scheme Regulations which gives effect to a new Schedule 2A (inserted by paragraph 3 of Schedule 1).

The new Schedule 2A makes provision for the discharge of liability if the person entitled to the pension credit dies before liability has been discharged, the identification of safeguarded rights, the commutation of pension credit benefit before or at normal benefit age (age 60), the payment of pension credit benefit at normal benefit age, after the death of the pension credit member before the pension credit benefit becomes payable and after it becomes payable.

Paragraph 10 of Schedule 2A provides that transfers in or out of the HPSS Superannuation Scheme in respect of pension credit rights or pension credit benefit shall not be allowed.

Schedule 2A also provides that any period of time which may be taken into account in relation to the pension credit benefit shall not count for any other purpose under the Superannuation Scheme Regulations.

Regulations 22 (Payment of lump sum), 92 (Offset for crime, negligence and fraud), and 93 (Loss of rights to benefits) are modified in their application to pension credit members.

Regulation 4 and Schedule 2 amend the AVC Regulations. Regulations 2, 13 and 15 of the AVC Regulations are amended (paragraphs 2 to 4 of Schedule 2). A new regulation 17A is inserted into the AVC Regulations which gives effect to a new Schedule 2 (paragraphs 5 and 6 of Schedule 2 to these Regulations).

The new Schedule 2 to the AVC Regulations makes provision for the discharge of liability in respect of a pension credit by the Department, the discharge of liability if the person entitled to the pension credit dies before liability has been discharged, the commutation of pension credit benefit before or at normal benefit age (age 60), the payment of pension credit benefit at normal benefit age, and after the death of the pension credit member before the pension credit benefit becomes payable and after it becomes payable.

Provision is also made for the investment of pension credit rights in a way which is similar to the investment of additional voluntary contributions under regulation 7 of the AVC Regulations. The transfer of pension credit rights out of the AVC Scheme is also provided for.

Paragraph 11 of the new Schedule 2 enables a person entitled to a pension credit or a pension credit member to nominate someone other than a surviving spouse to receive the lump sum payable upon his death.

Paragraphs 13 and 14 of the new Schedule 2 to the AVC Regulations contain provisions regarding the reduction and forfeiture of rights to pension credit benefit to the extent that those rights are originally derived from contributions made by the employer of the pension credit member's former spouse and against whom the pension sharing order or provision was made. The provisions are similar to regulations 19 and 20 of the AVC Regulations.


Notes:

[1] See S.I. 1999/283 (N.I. 1): Article 3(6)back

[2] S.I. 1972/1073 (N.I. 10), paragraph (2A) of Article 12 and paragraph (3A) of Article 14 are inserted by Articles 10(5) and 12(3) respectively of S.I. 1990/1509 (N.I. 13)back

[3] S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11)back

[4] S.R. 1999 No. 294 as amended by S.R. 2002 No. 129back

[5] S.R. 1995 No. 95 as amended by S.R. 1997 Nos. 217 and 390; S.R. 1998 No. 299; S.R. 1999 No. 293 and S.R. 2002 No. 69back

[6] 1993 c. 49back

[7] S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11)back

[8] 1999 c. 30back

[9] Section 97B is inserted by Article 34 of the 1999 Orderback

[10] S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I. 22) - Article 121(1) is amended by paragraph 50 of Schedule 9 to the 1999 Orderback

[11] Section 64A was inserted by Article 33 of the 1999 Orderback

[12] Regulation 83A was inserted by S.R. 1998 No. 299back

[13] S.R. 2000 No. 145. Regulation 6 was substituted by regulation 11(3) of S.R. 2000 No. 335back

[14] Regulation 22 was amended by regulation 5 of S.R. 2002 No. 69back

[15] S.R. 2000 No. 146back

[16] Regulation 22 was amended by regulation 5 of S.R. 2002 No. 69back

[17] Section 97P was inserted by Article 34 of the 1999 Orderback

[18] The definition of "pension credit member" inserted by paragraph 50(3) of Schedule 9 to the 1999 Orderback

[19] Section 97F is inserted by Article 34 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999back

[20] Part IVA is inserted by Article 34 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999back

[21] S.R. 2000 No. 146: Regulation 24 is amended by S.R. 2000 No. 335back



ISBN 0 33795456 9


  © Crown copyright 2004

Prepared 25 March 2004


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