The Firefighters' Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

PART 8 N.I. Contributions

CHAPTER 1 N.I. Members contributions

Member contributions N.I.

118.—(1) Subject to regulations 119 to 121 (contributions during absences) an active member of this scheme must pay contributions to the scheme in respect of a scheme employment at the contribution rate applicable to the annual pensionable pay that member is receiving in the pay period in which 1st April falls for that employment (or in the case of an active member whose membership commences after 1st April in any year, on the annual pensionable pay the member receives at the commencement of that membership).

(2) The contribution rate applicable to a scheme employment is as specified in the following table, with the contribution rate specified in the appropriate column for the year to be considered applicable to the band of pensionable pay specified in the first column into which the active member's annual pensionable pay, rounded down to the nearest whole pound, falls:

Pensionable pay range for an employment	Contribution rate 1st April 2015-31st March 2016
Up to £27,000	10.0%
£27,001 to £50,000	12.2%
£50,001 to £142,500	13.5%
£142,501 or more	14.5%

Pensionable pay range for an employment	Contribution rate 1st April 2016-31st March 2017
Up to £27,270	10.0%
£27,271 to £50,500	12.5%
£50,501 to £142,500	13.5%
£142,501 or more	14.5%

Pensionable pay range for an employment	Contribution rate 1st April 207-31st March 2018
Up to £27,543	10.5%
£27,544 to £51,005	12.7%
£51,006 to £142,500	13.5%
£142,501 or more	14.5%

Pensionable pay range for an employment	Contribution rate from 1st April 2018
Up to £27,818	11.0%
£27,819 to £51,515	12.9%
£51,516 to £142,500	13.5%
£142,501 or more	14.5%

(3) The amount of pensionable pay of a retained or volunteer firefighter for the purpose of the first column of the table must be that firefighter's reference pay.

(4) The amount of pensionable pay of a part-time regular firefighter for the purpose of the first column of the table must be the amount of pensionable pay of a whole-time regular firefighter of equivalent role and length of service.

(5) Where there is a change in scheme employment, or a material change which affects the member's pensionable pay in the course of a financial year and the revised amount of the pensionable pay falls into a different contribution rate band the scheme manager must determine that this rate should be applied and the scheme manager must inform the member of the contribution rate applicable and the date from which it is to be applied.

(6) Where the scheme manager has determined under paragraph (5) that a different contribution rate applies, the member must pay contributions at that rate on the pensionable pay that member is receiving at that time.

(7) For the purposes of identifying which is the applicable contribution rate under this regulation, any reduction in pensionable pay which arises as a consequence of any of the following circumstances is to be disregarded—

(a) the actual or assumed enjoyment by the member of any statutory entitlement during any period away from work;

(b) child-related leave;

(c) leave of absence with permission;

(d) sick leave;

(e) leave due to injury;

(f) reserve forces service leave;

(g) absence due to a trade dispute; or

(h) circumstances specified by the scheme manager in a particular case.

(8) In these Regulations, “member contributions” means contributions which an active member may pay under this regulation and regulations 119 to 121 (contributions during absences from work).

Contributions during absence from work due to illness, injury, trade dispute or authorised absence N.I.

119.—(1) An active member away from scheme employment by reason of illness or injury must pay contributions at the contribution rate ascertained in accordance with regulation 118 (member contributions) multiplied by the amount of any pensionable pay received, including statutory pay.

(2) If an active member is absent from employment by reason of illness or injury and is not entitled to receive pensionable pay (including statutory pay) for any period that member may pay contributions at the contribution rate ascertained in accordance with regulation 118 (member contributions) multiplied by the amount of pay received immediately before the cessation of pay and if required by the Board, pay the amount of employer contribution which it would otherwise be required to pay by regulation 125(3) (employer contributions).

(3) If an active member is absent on a trade dispute, the member may elect to pay the contributions at the contribution rate ascertained in accordance with regulation 118 (member contributions) multiplied by the assumed pensionable pay that member is treated as receiving and if required by the Board, pay the amount of employer contribution which it would otherwise be required to pay by regulation 125(3) (employer contributions).

(4) If an active member is away from work during a period of authorised unpaid absence, the member may elect to pay contributions at the contribution rate ascertained in accordance with regulation 118 (member contributions) multiplied by the assumed pensionable pay that member is treated as receiving and if required by the Board, pay the amount of employer contributions which it would otherwise be required to pay by regulation 125(3) (employer contributions).

(5) Where paragraph (2), (3) or (4) applies, the contributions must be paid before the end of the period of six months starting with the date on which the member is treated as receiving assumed pensionable pay.

Contributions during absence from work on reserve forces service leave N.I.

120.—(1) An active member (P), who is on reserve forces service leave and who is treated as receiving assumed pensionable pay, must pay contributions at the contribution rate ascertained in accordance with regulation 118 (member contributions).

(2) The amount of the contributions paid is calculated by multiplying the contribution rate by the lesser of the following amounts—

(a) assumed pensionable pay;

(b) the total of the actual pay received and any additional payment made by the scheme employer.

Contributions during child-related leave N.I.

121.—(1) An active member on child-related leave must pay contributions at the contribution rate ascertained in accordance with regulation 118 (member contributions) multiplied by any pensionable pay received, including statutory pay but that pay does not include any amount that reduces the member's actual pensionable pay on account of possible entitlement to statutory pay.

(2) If an active member is on ordinary maternity leave, paternity leave or ordinary adoption leave and is not entitled to receive pensionable pay (including statutory pay) for any of that period, that member is treated for the purposes of these Regulations as if that member had paid contributions for that unpaid period under paragraph (1).

(3) An active member on additional maternity leave, F1 ... additional adoption leave [F2 , shared parental leave] [F3 , parental bereavement leave] or parental leave who is not entitled to receive any pensionable pay (including statutory pay) for any of the period of child-related leave, may elect to pay contributions at the contribution rate ascertained in accordance with regulation 118 (member contributions) multiplied by the assumed pensionable pay that member is treated as receiving.

(4) An election to pay contributions may only be made before the end of the period of 30 days starting with the date on which that member returns to work after the period of child-related leave, or if the member does not return to work, the day on which the member ceases to be employed by the employer.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in reg. 121(3) omitted (retrospective to 1.4.2015) by virtue of The Firefighters Pension Scheme (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 (S.R. 2015/420), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 6

F2 Words in reg. 121(3) inserted (retrospective to 1.4.2015) by The Firefighters Pension Scheme (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 (S.R. 2015/420), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 6

F3 Words in reg. 121(3) inserted (29.9.2023) by The Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay (Consequential Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023 (S.R. 2023/157), regs. 1(1), 21(4), 34

Deduction and payment of contributions N.I.

122.—(1) The contributions required to be paid under regulation 118 (member contributions) may be deducted by the scheme employer from each instalment of pensionable pay as it becomes due unless another method of payment has been agreed between the scheme manager and the member.

(2) Contributions required to be paid under regulation 120(1) (contributions during absence from work on reserve forces service leave) may be deducted from any payment made under Part V of the Reserve and Auxiliary Forces (Protection of Civil Interests) Act 1951 M1 , to the extent that they are payable in respect of the same period.

(3) Contributions which the member has elected to pay, or is required to pay, under regulations 119 (contributions during absence from work due to illness, injury, trade dispute or authorised absence) and 121 (contributions during child-related leave) may be paid by a lump sum or by deduction from instalments of pensionable pay as agreed between the scheme manager and the member.

Marginal Citations

M1 1951 c. 65; extended to Northern Ireland by S.I. 1979/291

Schedule 1 (payments for added pension) N.I.

123.  Schedule 1 has effect (including as to the deduction of payments for added pension).

CHAPTER 2 N.I. Refund of member contributions

Refund of all member contributions and payments for extra pension made by member N.I.

124.—(1) This regulation applies in relation to a continuous period of pensionable service under the scheme.

(2) Any member contributions and payments resulting from the election to make additional pension contributions under Schedule 1 are refundable if —

(a) regulation 24 (opting out before the end of the first three months) applies; or

(b) the member ceases to be in pensionable service under this scheme and —

(i) the member has less than three months qualifying service,

(ii) if a transfer payment has been received by this scheme in relation to the member it was from another occupational pension scheme, and

(iii) the member has not reached GMP age under this scheme.

(3) If paragraph (2)(b) applies, the member is entitled to be paid an amount equal to the sum of any member contributions and payments for added pension made by the member, less an amount equal to the income tax payable under section 205 of the 2004 Act (short service refund lump sum charge) as a result of a refund of those contributions and payments.

(4) If all member contributions and payments for added pension made by the member are refunded under this regulation, the member's rights under this scheme in relation to the period of pensionable service are extinguished.

CHAPTER 3 N.I. Employer contributions

Employer contributions N.I.

125.—(1) The Department must determine after consultation with the scheme actuary the employer contribution rate.

(2) The Board as the employer of an active member of this scheme must pay contributions at the employer contribution rate on that member's pensionable earnings.

(3) The Board as the employer of an active member who is treated under regulation 27 (meaning of “assumed pensionable pay”) as receiving assumed pensionable pay must pay contributions at the employer contribution rate of the assumed pensionable pay that the member is treated as receiving.

(4) The Department must notify the scheme manager of the employer contribution rate and the date from which this will take effect.

(5) In these Regulations, “employer contribution” means the contributions payable under paragraph (2) or (3).

Employer additional contribution: ill health award N.I.

126.—(1) Where a member (H) has retired with an entitlement to the immediate payment of a higher tier ill-health pension and a lower tier ill-health pension under regulation 73(2) (entitlement to lower tier ill-health pension and higher tier ill-health pension), the Board must pay a higher tier ill-health additional contribution.

(2) The amount of the higher tier ill-health additional contribution is the amount determined and notified to the Board by the Department.

(3) Where a member (L) has retired with an entitlement to the immediate payment of a lower tier ill-health pension and without any entitlement to a higher tier ill-health pension, the Board must pay a lower tier ill-health additional contribution.

(4) The amount of the lower tier ill-health additional contribution is the amount determined and notified to the Board by the Department.

(5) The Board must pay the higher tier ill health additional contribution or the lower tier ill health additional contribution, as the case may be, in equal instalments due on:

(a) the date on which the member retires;

(b) 1st April of the financial year following the financial year in which the first instalment was paid;

(c) 1st April of the financial year following the financial year in which the second instalment was paid.

Refund of employer additional contribution for ill health award following review N.I.

127.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), where the scheme manager has considered the entitlement of a member (P) to an ill-health award under regulation 76 (review of ill-health award or early payment of retirement pension) and as a consequence of that review the entitlement of P to either a higher tier ill-health pension or a lower tier ill-health pension has ceased, or the entitlement of P to both pensions has ceased, the scheme manager must pay the amount in paragraph (3) or (5), as the case may be, to the Board.

(2) Where the Board has paid all the instalments of higher tier ill-health additional contributions required by regulation 126 (employer additional contribution: ill health award), the scheme manager is not required to pay the Board the amount mentioned in paragraph (3).

(3) Where P, as a result of a review under regulation 76 (review of ill-health award or early payment of retirement pension), ceases to be entitled to a higher tier ill-health pension and remains entitled to a lower tier ill-health pension, the scheme manager must pay an amount equal to the difference between the instalments of higher tier ill-health additional contribution which have been paid under regulation 126(1) (employer additional contribution: ill-health award) and the instalments of the lower tier ill-health additional contribution which would have been required to be paid under regulation 126(3) (employer additional contribution: ill-health award) if only the lower tier ill-health pension had been payable (“the notional payment”).

(4) The scheme manager must determine the amount of the notional payment payable under paragraph (3).

(5) Where P, as a result of a review under regulation 76 (review of ill-health award or early payment of retirement pension), ceases to be entitled to a higher tier ill health pension and to a lower tier ill-health pension as the case may be and the Board has not paid all the instalments of higher tier ill-health pension or lower tier ill-health pension as required by regulation 126 (employer additional contribution ill-health award), the scheme manager must repay to the Board any instalments of higher tier ill-health additional contribution or lower tier ill-health additional contribution as the case may be, which have been paid in respect of P and no further instalments will be due in respect of P.

Employer additional contribution: employer initiated retirement N.I.

128.—(1) Where the Board has made a determination under regulation 70 (employer initiated retirement) to pay an active member who has not attained normal pension age a pension calculated in accordance with regulation 68 (annual rate of retirement pension (active members)) the Board must pay the employer initiated retirement additional contribution.

(2) The amount of the employer initiated retirement additional contribution is calculated in accordance with actuarial guidance and that actuarial guidance must have regard to the difference between the pension that is payable under regulation 70 (employer initiated retirement) and the pension payable under regulation 68 (annual rate of retirement pension (active members)).