Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993

95 Trustees' duties after exercise of option

(1) Where—

(a) a member has exercised the option conferred by section 91; and

(b) the trustees or managers of the scheme have done what is needed to carry out what the member requires,

the trustees or managers shall be discharged from any obligation to provide benefits to which the cash equivalent related except, in such cases as are mentioned in section 92(2), to the extent that an obligation to provide such guaranteed minimum pensions or give effect to such protected rights continues to subsist.

(2) Subject to the following provisions of this section, if the trustees or managers of a scheme receive an application under section 91, they shall do what is needed to carry out what the member requires—

(a) within 12 months of the date on which they receive the application; or

(b) in the case of a member of an occupational pension scheme, by the date on which the member attains normal pension age if that is earlier.

(3) If—

(a) disciplinary proceedings or proceedings before a court have been begun against a member of an occupational pension scheme at any time before the expiry of the period of 12 months beginning with the termination date; and

(b) it appears to the trustees or managers of the scheme that the proceedings may lead to the whole or part of the pension or benefit in lieu of a pension payable to the member or his widow being forfeited; and

(c) the date before which they would (apart from this subsection) be obliged under subsection (2) to carry out what the member requires is earlier than the end of the period of 3 months after the conclusion of the disciplinary or court proceedings (including any proceedings on appeal),

then, subject to the following provisions of this section, they must instead do so before the end of that period of 3 months.

(4) The Board may grant an extension of the period within which the trustees or managers of the scheme are obliged to do what is needed to carry out what a member of the scheme requires—

(a) in any case where in the opinion of the Board—

(i) the scheme is being wound up or is about to be wound up;

(ii) the scheme is ceasing to be a contracted-out scheme or, as the case may be, an appropriate scheme;

(iii) the interests of the members of the scheme generally will be prejudiced if the trustees or managers of the scheme do what is needed to carry out what is required within that period; or

(iv) the member has not taken all such steps as the trustees or managers can reasonably expect him to take in order to satisfy them of any matter which falls to be established before they can properly carry out what he requires;

(b) in any case where the provisions of sections 48 to 50 apply; and

(c) in any case where a request for an extension has been made on a ground specified in paragraph (a) or (b), and the Board’s consideration of the request cannot be completed before the end of that period.

(5) A request for an extension under subsection (4) may only be made by the trustees or managers.

(6) If the Board are satisfied—

(a) that there has been a relevant change of circumstances since they granted an extension, or

(b) that they granted an extension in ignorance of a material fact or on the basis of a mistake as to a material fact,

they may direct that the extension be shortened or revoke it.