Forfeiture of rights
M1.—(1) If—
(a)a person has been convicted of an offence in connection with an employment in which he was a pensionable employee, and
(b)he has (whether before or after the conviction) ceased to hold that employment in consequence of that offence, and
(c)on an application made within 3 months after the conviction by the body who were his employing authority in that employment, the Secretary of State has certified that the offence either was gravely injurious to the State or is liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service,
that body may direct that all or any of the rights enjoyed by or in respect of him under these regulations with respect to his previous service shall, subject to paragraphs (2) and (5), be forfeited.
(2) Unless the person ceased to hold his employment in consequence of—
(a)an offence of treason, or
(b)one or more offences under the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1939()for which he has been sentenced on the same occasion to a term of imprisonment of, or to two or more consecutive terms amounting in the aggregate to, at least 10 years,
no direction may be given under paragraph (1) which would deprive him of his guaranteed minimum pension or would, in the event of his leaving a widow, deprive her of her widow's guaranteed minimum pension.
(3) If—
(a)a person has ceased to hold an employment in which he was a pensionable employee in consequence of an offence in connection with his employment, and
(b)the body who were his employing authority have neither notified a decision under Part N on any question as to entitlement to a benefit nor given any direction under paragraph (1),
the appropriate administering authority shall if so directed by that body make interim payments to any person specified by them who would be entitled to receive payment of a benefit under these regulations if no direction under paragraph (1) were given.
(4) Directions under paragraph (3) may be given from time to time and—
(a)must specify the amounts to be paid and the persons to whom they are to be paid,
(b)must not require any person to be paid more than he would for the time being be entitled to have been paid on the assumption that no direction under paragraph (1) will be given, and
(c)do not constitute decisions under Part N as to any person's entitlement to a benefit.
(5) Payments made to a person in accordance with directions under paragraph (3) shall, notwithstanding any direction given under paragraph (1) or any decision under Part N as to entitlement, be deemed to have been payments in respects of a benefit to which he was entitled.
(6) A body making an application to the Secretary of State for a certificate under paragraph (1)(c) shall at the same time send copies of the application to the person concerned and to the appropriate administering authority.