(1)Except as provided by the following subsections, any provision having effect so as to enable the whole or part of any minimum benefit to be commuted or surrendered, or to be subject to any charge, hen or set-off, shall be inadmissible in relation to the minimum benefits of a recognised scheme.
(2)Subsection (1) above shall not prevent a scheme qualifying for recognition with any of the following provisions—
(a)provisions enabling an earner (subject to section 58 of this Act) to surrender his accrued minimum benefits in exchange for recognition credits allowed under another scheme;
(b)provisions enabling minimum benefit in the form of a pension (whether personal benefit alone, or death benefit alone, or both benefits together) to be commuted, in prescribed circumstances, where the annual rate would not exceed a prescribed amount; or
(c)provisions approved by the Occupational Pensions Board and permitting an earner to commute his mini-mum personal pension in exceptional circumstances of serious ill-health;
nor shall that subsection prevent a scheme qualifying for recognition with provisions whereby minimum personal pension is calculated on any basis prescribed under section 54(4) of this Act or varied under section 54(6)(a).
(3)Any provision having effect so as to involve the forfeiture of any minimum benefit, otherwise than in such circumstances as may be prescribed, shall be inadmissible in relation to the minimum benefits of a recognised scheme.