The Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 2005

Failure to make payments

207.—(1) This Article applies where an amount payable in accordance with the schedule of contributions by or on behalf of the employer or an active member of a scheme is not paid on or before the due date.

(2) If the trustees or managers have reasonable cause to believe that the failure is likely to be of material significance in the exercise by the Regulator of any of its functions, they must, except in prescribed circumstances, give notice of the failure to the Regulator and to the members within a reasonable period.

(3) The amount unpaid (whether payable by the employer or not), if not a debt due from the employer to the trustees or managers apart from this paragraph, shall be treated as such a debt.

(4) Article 10 of the 1995 Order (civil penalties) applies—

(a) where paragraph (2) is not complied with, to a trustee or manager who has failed to take all reasonable steps to secure compliance with that paragraph;

(b) to the employer if he fails without reasonable excuse to make a payment required of him—

(i) in accordance with the schedule of contributions, or

(ii) by virtue of paragraph (3).

(5) This Article applies in relation to a schedule of contributions imposed by the Regulator under Article 210 as in relation to one agreed between the trustees or managers and the employer.