The New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2008

2.  In Part 2 (scheme membership, cessation and retirement), in article 4 (scheme membership)—

(a) In paragraph (1)—

(i) at the end of sub-paragraph (b)(i), add the word “and”; and

(ii) omit sub-paragraph (b)(iii) and the word “and” immediately preceding that sub-paragraph;

(b) in paragraph (5), add at the end of each of sub-paragraphs (a), (b) and (c), “, deferred member or pensioner member”;

(c) for paragraph (6) substitute—

“(6) For the purposes of paragraph (5), a firefighter member, deferred member or pensioner member (referred to in this paragraph as “the scheme member”) may nominate a person (a “nominated partner”) who—

(a) has been living with the scheme member, otherwise than as his spouse or civil partner; and

(b) at the date on which the question of the nominated partner’s status in relation to the scheme member falls to be considered—

(i) is not the spouse or civil partner of any other person,

(ii) is registered with the scheme administrator as the scheme member’s nominated partner,

(iii) is financially dependent on the scheme member, or is, with the scheme member, in a state of mutual financial dependency, and

(iv) is in a long-term relationship with the scheme member,

but this is subject to paragraph (8).”;

(d) in paragraph (7), in the definition of “long-term relationship”—

(i) for “the period of two years”, substitute “a period of at least two years”; and

(ii) after “firefighter member”, insert “, deferred member or pensioner members”;

(e) in paragraph (8), after “firefighter member”, insert “, deferred member or pensioner member”;