The Health and Personal Social Services (Superannuation Scheme, Injury Benefits and Additional Voluntary Contributions), Health and Social Care (Pension Scheme) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

New Chapter 11

34.  After Chapter 10 of Part 2 (2008 Section Optants), insert—

“CHAPTER 11

Waiting Period Joiners

136Y    Application of Chapter 11 of this Part

(1) This Chapter makes provision in relation to pensioner members of the 1995 Section who are eligible to be members of this Section of the Scheme in accordance with paragraph (1)(b)(ii) of regulation 21A (Eligibility: transitional).

(2) A member of this Section of the Scheme to whom this Chapter applies is referred to as a “Waiting Period Joiner”.

136Z    Nominations and notices accepted by the Department under the 1995 Regulations and Chapter 5 of this Part of these Regulations

(1) This regulation applies if—

(a) on the day a Waiting Period Joiner becomes an active member of this Section of the Scheme—

(i) the Department has accepted any of the nominations or notices specified in paragraph (2) in respect of the benefits to be paid on the death of that Joiner, and

(ii) that Joiner has not revoked that nomination or notice; or

(b) at any time after a Waiting Period Joiner becomes an active member of this Section of the Scheme, that Joiner gives a notice, nomination or declaration for the purposes of a regulation listed in the table at paragraph (4).

(2) The nominations and notices referred to in paragraph (1)(a) are—

(a) a nomination made in accordance with regulation 22 of the 1995 Regulations (Payment of lump sum) in favour of one or more persons in respect of any lump sum that becomes payable under regulations 18 to 21 of those Regulations (which deal with lump sum payments on the death of a member in different circumstances);

(b) a notice provided for the purposes of paragraph (3)(a) of regulation 22 of the 1995 Regulations that the person’s surviving partner (within the meaning of that regulation) is not to receive the payment of any lump sum that becomes payable under regulations 18 to 21 of those Regulations;

(c) a notice provided for the purpose of regulation 31E of the 1995 Regulations (Surviving nominated partner’s pension) nominating a partner to receive a surviving nominated partner pension.

(3) For the purpose of this Section of the Scheme a nomination or notice referred to in paragraph (1)(a) shall be treated—

(a) in the case of the nomination referred to in paragraph (2)(a), as if that nomination has been accepted by the Department as a notice for the purposes of regulation 87,

(b) in the case of a notice referred to in paragraph (2)(b), as if that notice had been accepted by the Department as a notice for the purposes of regulation 87 specifying that the Waiting Period Joiner’s personal representatives are to receive any lump sum or pension on the death of that Joiner, and

(c) in the case of a notice referred to in paragraph (2)(c), as if that notice had been accepted by the Department as a declaration for the purposes of regulation 68.

(4) A notice, nomination or declaration referred to in paragraph (1)(b) that is given by a Waiting Period Joiner for the purposes of a regulation listed in column 1 of the following table shall, without more, be treated as a notice, nomination or declaration given for the purposes of the corresponding regulation in column 2.

Column 1	Column2
1995 Regulations	2008 Regulations
22	87
31E	68

136ZA    Waiting Period Joiners who are in receipt of a tier 1 ill-health pension under Regulation 13A of the 1995 Regulations

(1) This regulation applies to a Waiting Period Joiner who—

(a) is entitled to a tier 1 ill-health pension under regulation 13A of the 1995 Regulations (Ill-health pension on early retirement) in respect of service in the 1995 Section (“the earlier 1995 Section service”); and

(b) becomes entitled to a tier 1 ill-health pension or, as the case may be, a tier 2 ill-health pension under regulation 52 in respect of service in this Section of the Scheme (“the later 2008 Section service”).

(2) For the purposes of determining whether a Waiting Period Joiner can count 45 years of pensionable service for any purpose, the earlier 1995 Section service and the later 2008 Section service are aggregated.

(3) A Waiting Period Joiner is entitled to the benefits set out in paragraph (4) if, on the termination of the later 2008 Section service, that Joiner becomes entitled to a tier 1 or a tier 2 ill-health pension under regulation 52 in respect of that later service.

(4) Those benefits are—

(a) a tier 1 ill-health pension under regulation 13A of the 1995 Regulations in respect of the member’s earlier 1995 Section service; and

(b) a tier 1 or, as the case may be, tier 2 ill-health pension in respect of the member’s later 2008 Section service.

This is subject to paragraph (5).

(5) A Waiting Period Joiner is entitled to the benefits set out in paragraph (6) where that Joiner—

(a) ceases to be entitled to a tier 1 ill-health pension in respect of the earlier 1995 Section service;

(b) becomes entitled to a tier 2 ill-health pension in respect of that earlier 1995 Section service in accordance with regulation 13B of the 1995 Regulations (Re-assessment of ill health condition determined under regulation 13A); and

(c) becomes entitled to a tier 1 or, as the case may be, tier 2 ill-health pension in respect of the later 2008 Section service on the termination of that later service.

(6) Those benefits are—

(a) a tier 2 ill-health pension paid in accordance with regulation 13B of the 1995 Regulations in respect of the earlier 1995 Section service; and

(b) a tier 1 ill-health pension in respect of the later 2008 Section service.

136ZB    Lump sum payable on the death of a Waiting Period Joiner

(1) This regulation applies to a Waiting Period Joiner who, on the date of that Joiner’s death, is an active or a non-contributing member in respect of service in this Section of the Scheme (“the later 2008 Section service”).

(2) The lump sum payable on the death of a Joiner referred to in paragraph (1) shall be calculated in accordance with whichever of paragraphs (3) to (6) applies to that Joiner and shall be paid in place of the lump sum that, apart from this regulation, would otherwise be payable in respect of that Joiner’s later 2008 Section service under regulation 83.

(3) Where, at the date of a Waiting Period Joiner’s death, that Joiner was an active member who had not reached age 65 and who had not exercised the option under regulation 49, the lump sum referred to in paragraph (2) is an amount equal to the annual rate of pension payable under regulation 52(5) to which that deceased Joiner would have been entitled at that date, multiplied by five.

(4) Where, at the date of a Waiting Period Joiner’s death, that Joiner was an active member who had reached age 65 and who had not exercised the option under regulation 49, the lump sum referred to in paragraph (2) is an amount equal to the annual rate of pension payable under regulation 45 to which that deceased Joiner would have been entitled at that date, multiplied by five.

(5) Where, at the date of a Waiting Period Joiner’s death, that Joiner was a non-contributing member who had not exercised the option under regulation 49, the lump sum referred to in paragraph (2) is an amount equal to the annual rate of pension to which that Joiner would have been entitled under regulation 45 on the last day of that Joiner’s pensionable service, multiplied by five.

(6) Where, at the date of a Waiting Period Joiner’s death, that Joiner was an active member or a non-contributing member who had exercised the option under regulation 49, the lump sum referred to in paragraph (2) shall be determined by the Department after taking advice from the Scheme actuary.

136ZC    Children’s pensions payable on the death of a Waiting Period Joiner

(1) This regulation applies in respect of a Waiting Period Joiner’s service in this Section of the Scheme, where at the date of that Joiner’s death that Joiner was an active, non-contributing, pensioner or deferred member who was entitled to a pension under the 1995 Regulations in respect of service in the 1995 Section (“the earlier 1995 Section service”).

(2) In the case of a deceased Waiting Period Joiner who, at the date of that Joiner’s death was an active or non-contributing member, “relevant service” for the purposes of paragraph (4) of regulation 76 shall have the meaning given in paragraph (3).

(3) “Relevant service” means—

(a) in the case of a deceased Waiting Period Joiner who was, at the date of that Joiner’s death, an active member, the greater of—

(i) the pensionable service that Joiner was entitled to count at that date, increased by the enhancement period (if any) that would have applied for the purposes of regulation 52(5) if that Joiner had become entitled to a tier 2 ill-health pension at that date, and

(ii) that Joiner’s later 2008 Section service as an active member plus the difference between—

(aa) the aggregate of that Joiner’s earlier 1995 Section service and the later 2008 Section service as an active member; and

(bb) 10 years pensionable service,

where the amount of service in paragraph (aa) is less than that specified in paragraph (bb);

(b) in the case of a deceased Waiting Period Joiner who, at the date of that Joiner’s death was a non-contributing member, the pensionable service that Joiner was entitled to count under this Section of the Scheme on the date of that Joiner’s death.

(4) In the case of a deceased Waiting Period Joiner who, at the date of that Joiner’s death was a pensioner member, “the basic death pension” for the purposes of paragraph (3) of regulation 77 shall have the meaning given in paragraph (5).

(5) The “basic death pension” means the greater of—

(a) 75% of the deceased Waiting Period Joiner’s annual pension (disregarding any additional pension); and

(b) 75% of the annual pension to which that Joiner would have been entitled in respect of the aggregate of that Joiner’s later 2008 Section service plus the difference between—

(i) the aggregate of that Joiner’s earlier 1995 Section service and the later 2008 Section service, and

(ii) 10 years pensionable service,

where the amount of service in head (i) is less than that specified in head (ii).

(6) In the case of a deceased Waiting Period Joiner who, at the date of that Joiner’s death was a deferred member, “the basic death pension” for the purposes of paragraph (3) of regulation 78 shall have the meaning given in paragraph (7).

(7) The “basic death pension” means—

(a) if the deceased Waiting Period Joiner died within 12 months after ceasing to be an active member or a non-contributing member, the amount that would be the basic death pension for the purposes of regulation 76 if that Joiner had died on the day of so ceasing (disregarding any additional pension); and

(b) if the deceased Waiting Period Joiner died more than 12 months after ceasing to be an active member or a non-contributing member, the greater of—

(i) 75% of the pension to which that Joiner would have been entitled if that Joiner had become entitled to a pension under regulation 45 on the date of death (disregarding any additional pension), and

(ii) 75% of the annual pension to which that Joiner would have been entitled in respect of the aggregate of that Joiner’s later 2008 Section service that has been deferred plus the difference between—

(aa) the aggregate of that Joiner’s earlier 1995 Section service and the later 2008 Section service that has been deferred; and

(bb) 10 years pensionable service,

where the amount of service in paragraph (aa) is less than that specified in paragraph (bb).”.