The Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

1. Introductory Text

2. Part I Introductory

   1. 1. Title and commencement

   2. 2. Interpretation

3. PART II Occupational Pensions

   1. Supervision by the Authority

      1. 3. Prohibition orders

      2. 4. Suspension orders

      3. Art. 5 rep. by 2005 NI 1

      4. 6. Removal or suspension of trustees: consequences

      5. 7. Appointment of trustees

      6. 8. Appointment of trustees: consequences

      7. 9. Removal and appointment of trustees: property

      8. 10. Civil penalties

      9. 11. Powers to wind up schemes

      10. 12. Powers to wind up public service schemes

      11. Art. 13 rep. by 2005 NI 1

      12. 14. Restitution

      13. 15. Directions

   2. Member-nominated trustees and directors

      1. 16. Requirement for member-nominated trustees

      2. 17. Exceptions

      3. 18. Corporate trustees: member-nominated directors

      4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      5. 19. Corporate trustees: exceptions

      6. 20. Selection, and eligibility, of member-nominated trustees and directors

      7. 21. Member-nominated trustees and directors: supplementary

   3. Independent trustees

      1. 22. Circumstances in which following provisions apply

      2. 23. Power to appoint independent trustees

      3. 25. Appointment and powers of independent trustees: further provisions

      4. 26. Insolvency practitioner or official receiver to give information to trustees

      5. Arts. 26A - 26C rep. by 2005 NI 1

   4. Trustees: general

      1. 27. Trustee not to be auditor or actuary of the scheme

      2. 28. Article 27: consequences

      3. 29. Persons disqualified for being trustees

      4. 30. Persons disqualified: consequences

      5. Art. 30A rep. by 2005 NI 1

      6. Art. 31 rep. by 2005 NI 1

   5. Functions of trustees

      1. 32. Decisions by majority

      2. 33. Investment powers: duty of care

      3. 34. Power of investment and delegation

      4. 35. Investment principles

      5. 36. Choosing investments

      6. 36A. Restriction on borrowing by trustees

      7. 37. Payment of surplus to employer

      8. 38. Power to defer winding up

      9. 39. Exercise of powers by member trustees

   6. Functions of trustees or managers

      1. 40. Restriction on employer-related investments

      2. 41. Provision of documents for members

      3. Arts. 42‐46 rep. by 1996 NI 16

   7. Advisers

      1. 47. Professional advisers

      2. Art. 48 rep. by 2005 NI 1

   8. Receipts, payments and records

      1. 49. Other responsibilities of trustees, employers, etc.

      2. 49A. Record of winding-up decisions

   9. Resolution of disputes

      1. 50. Requirement for dispute resolution arrangements

      2. 50A. Meaning of “person with an interest in the scheme”

      3. 50B. The dispute resolution procedure

   10. Indexation

       1. 51. Annual increase in rate of pension

       2. 51ZA. Meaning of “the appropriate percentage”

       3. 51A. Restriction on increase where annuity tied to investments

       4. 52. Restriction on increase where member is under 55

       5. 53. Effect of increases above the statutory requirement

       6. 54. Articles 51 to 53: supplementary

       7. 55. Article 51: end of annual increase in GMP

       8. Arts. 56 - 61 rep. by 2005 NI 1

   11. Equal treatment

       1. 62. The equal treatment rule

       2. 63. Equal treatment rule: supplementary

       3. 64. Equal treatment rule: exceptions

       4. 65. Equal treatment rule: consequential alteration of schemes

       5. 66. Equal treatment rule: effect on terms of employment, etc.

   12. Treatment of overseas residents, etc.

       1. 66A. Prohibition on different rules for overseas residents, etc.

   13. Modification of schemes

       1. 67. The subsisting rights provisions

       2. 67A. The subsisting rights provisions: interpretation

       3. 67B. The consent requirements

       4. 67C. The actuarial equivalence requirements

       5. 67D. The actuarial equivalence requirements: further provisions

       6. 67E. The trustee approval requirement

       7. 67F. The reporting requirement

       8. 67G. Powers of the Authority: voidable modifications

       9. 67H. Powers of the Authority to intervene

       10. 67I. Subsisting rights provisions: civil penalties

       11. 68. Power of trustees to modify schemes by resolution

       12. 69. Grounds for applying for modifications

       13. 70. Article 69: supplementary

       14. 71. Effect of orders under Article 69

       15. 71A. Modification by Authority to secure winding-up

       16. 72. Modification of public service pension schemes

   14. Supervision of winding-up

       1. 72A. Reports to Authority about winding-up

       2. 72B. Directions by Authority for facilitating winding-up

       3. 72C. Duty to comply with directions under Article 72B

   15. Winding up

       1. 73. Preferential liabilities on winding up

       2. 73A. Operation of scheme during winding up period

       3. 73B. Articles 73 and 73A: supplementary

       4. 74. Discharge of liabilities by insurance, etc.

       5. 75. Deficiencies in the assets

       6. 75A. Deficiencies in the assets: multi-employer schemes

       7. 76. Excess assets on winding up

       8. 77. Excess assets remaining after winding up: power to distribute

       9. Arts. 78 - 84 rep. by 2005 NI 1

   16. Money purchase schemes

       1. 85. Schedules of payments to money purchase schemes

       2. 86. Schedules of payments to money purchase schemes: supplementary

       3. 87. Application of further provisions to money purchase schemes

       4. 88. Unpaid contributions in cases of insolvency

   17. Assignment, forfeiture, bankruptcy, etc.,

       1. 89. Inalienability of occupational pension

       2. 90. Forfeiture, etc.

       3. 91. Forfeiture by reference to obligation to employer

       4. 92. Articles 89 to 91: supplementary

       5. Art. 93 rep. by 1999 NI 11

       6. Arts. 94 - 112 rep. by 2005 NI 1

   18. General

       1. 113. Breach of regulations

       2. 114. Overriding requirements

       3. 115. Powers to modify this Part

       4. 116. Calculations, etc. under regulations: sub-delegation

       5. 117. Consultations about regulations

       6. 118. Crown application

       7. Art. 119—Amendments

       8. 120. “Connected” and “associated” persons

       9. 121. Interpretation of Part II

       10. 122. Article 121: supplementary

4. PART III STATE PENSIONS

   1. 123. Equalisation of pensionable age and of entitlement to certain benefits and increase in pensionable age

   2. Art. 124 rep. by 2002 c. 21

   3. 125. Additional pension: calculation of surpluses

   4. 126. Contribution conditions

   5. 127. Up-rating of pensions increased under section 52 of Contributions and Benefits Act

   6. 128. Graduated retirement benefit

   7. 129. Extension of Christmas bonus for pensioners

   8. 130. Contributions paid in error

   9. 131. Minor amendments

5. PART IV CERTIFICATION OF PENSION SCHEMES AND EFFECTS ON MEMBERS' STATE SCHEME RIGHTS AND DUTIES

   1. Introductory

      1. 132. The “principal appointed day” for Part IV

   2. New certification requirements applying as from the principal appointed day

      1. 133. New requirements for contracted-out schemes

   3. Reduction in State scheme contributions, payment of rebates and reduction in State scheme benefits

      1. 134. State scheme contributions and rebates

      2. 135. Minimum contributions towards appropriate personal pension schemes

      3. 136. Money purchase and personal pension schemes: verification of ages.

      4. 137. Reduction in benefits for members of certified schemes

   4. Premiums and return to State scheme

      1. 138. State scheme, etc. premiums and buyback into State scheme

   5. Protected rights

      1. 139. Interim arrangements for giving effect to protected rights

      2. 140. Requirements for interim arrangements

      3. 141. Interim arrangements: supplementary

      4. 142. Extension of interim arrangements to occupational pension schemes

      5. 143. Discharge of protected rights on winding up: insurance policies

   6. Miscellaneous

      1. 144. Monitoring personal pension schemes

      2. 145. Earner employed in more than one employment

      3. 146. Hybrid occupational pension schemes

      4. Art. 147—Amendments

6. PART V MISCELLANEOUS AND GENERAL

   1. Transfer values

      1. 148. Extension of scope of right to cash equivalent

      2. 149. Right to guaranteed cash equivalent

      3. 150. Right to guaranteed cash equivalent: supplementary

   2. Penalties

      1. 151. Breach of regulations under the Pension Schemes Act

   3. Pensions Ombudsman

      1. 152. Employment of staff by the Pensions Ombudsman

      2. 153. Jurisdiction of Pensions Ombudsman

      3. 154. Allowances

      4. 155. Disclosing information

      5. 156. Interest on late payment of benefit

   4. Modification and winding up of schemes

      1. 157. Repeal of sections 132 to 139 of Pension Schemes Act

   5. Personal pensions

      1. 158. Annual increase in rate of personal pension

      2. 159. Article 158: supplementary

      3. 160. Power to reject notice choosing appropriate personal pension scheme

   6. Levy

      1. 161. Levy

   7. Pensions on divorce, etc.

      1. 162. Pensions on divorce, etc.

   8. Official and public service pensions

      1. 163. Equal treatment in relation to official pensions

      2. 164. Information about public service schemes

      3. Art. 165—Amendments

   9. Subordinate legislation, etc.

      1. 166. Orders and regulations (general provisions)

      2. 167. Assembly, etc. control of orders and regulations

      3. Art. 168—Repeals

7. 1. SCHEDULES

   2. SCHEDULE 2

      EQUALISATION OF AND INCREASE IN PENSIONABLE AGE FOR MEN AND WOMEN

      1. PART 1 PENSIONABLE AGES FOR MEN AND WOMEN

         1. Rules for determining pensionable age

            1. 1. The following rules apply for the purposes of the enactments...

      2. PART II ENTITLEMENT TO CERTAIN PENSION AND OTHER BENEFITS

         1. Pension increases for dependent spouses

            1. 2. (1) For sections 83 and 84 of the Contributions and...

         2. Category B retirement pensions

            1. 3. (1) For sections 49 and 50 of the Contributions and...

         3. Home responsibilities protection

            1. 4. (1) In paragraph 5 of Schedule 3 to the Contributions...

         4. Additional pension

            1. 5. In section 46(2) of the Contributions and Benefits Act (benefits...

         5. Increments

            1. 6. (1) In section 54(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act...

         6. Graduated retirement benefit

            1. 7. In section 62(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act (graduated...

         7. Christmas bonus for pensioners

            1. 8. In section 145(4) of that Act (Christmas bonus: supplementary), for...

      3. Part III—Amendments