The Sharing of State Scheme Rights (Provision of Information and Valuation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000

Basic information about the sharing of state scheme rights for the purposes of divorce, etc.

2.—(1) The requirements imposed on the Department for the purposes of Article 21(1)(a) (supply of pension information in connection with divorce etc.) are that it shall furnish—

(a) the information specified in paragraphs (2) and (3)—

(i) to a person who has shareable state scheme rights on request from that person, or

(ii) to the court, pursuant to an order of the court, or

(b) the information specified in paragraph (3) to the spouse of a person who has shareable state scheme rights, on request from that spouse.

(2) The information specified in this paragraph is a valuation of the person’s shareable state scheme rights.

(3) The information specified in this paragraph is an explanation of—

(a) the state scheme rights which are shareable;

(b) how a pension sharing order or provision will affect a person’s shareable state scheme rights, and

(c) how a pension sharing order or provision in respect of a person’s shareable state scheme rights will result in the spouse of the person who has shareable state scheme rights becoming entitled to a shared additional pension.

(4) The Department shall furnish the information specified in paragraphs (2) and (3) to the court or, as the case may be, to the person who has shareable state scheme rights within—

(a) 3 months beginning with the date the Department receives the request or, as the case may be, the order for the provision of that information;

(b) 6 weeks beginning with the date the Department receives the request or, as the case may be, the order for the provision of the information, if the person who has shareable state scheme rights has notified the Department on the date of the request or order that the information is needed in connection with proceedings commenced under any of the provisions referred to in Article 21(1)(a), or

(c) such shorter period specified by the court in an order requiring the Department to provide a valuation in accordance with paragraph (2).

(5) Where—

(a) the request made by the person with shareable state scheme rights for, or the court order requiring, the provision of information does not include a request or, as the case may be, an order for a valuation under paragraph (2), or

(b) the spouse of the person with shareable state scheme rights requests the information specified in paragraph (3),

the Department shall furnish that information to the person who has shareable state scheme rights, his spouse, or the court, as the case may be, within one month beginning with the date the Department receives the request or the court order for the provision of that information.