Part EBenefits

Overriding provision as to guaranteed minimum pensions

E1.—(1) This regulation applies where a person’s pensionable employment is contracted-out employment.

(2) Where this regulation applies it overrides anything in these Regulations that is inconsistent with it, except regulation E14 (abatement on re-employment) and regulation E18 (deferment etc).

(3) Where this regulation applies and the person in relation to employment up to 6th April 1997, has a guaranteed minimum in relation to benefits under these Regulations—

(a)unless on the cessation of the pensionable employment he is entitled to a retirement pension at a higher rate, he is from the date on which he attains state pensionable age entitled to a pension at a weekly rate equal to his guaranteed minimum;

(b)if he attains state pensionable age while in pensionable employment, continues in the same employment for a further period of 5 years and does not then cease to hold it, he is (unless he consents to a postponement of the entitlement) entitled from the end of that period to so much of his retirement pension as equals his guaranteed minimum;

(c)in the case of a man who dies at any time and leaves a widow, unless she is entitled to a widow’s pension at a higher rate she is, during any such period as is mentioned in section 13 of the Pensions Act(1), entitled to a pension at a weekly rate equal to half his guaranteed minimum; and

(d)in the case of a woman who dies at any time leaving a widower who is not entitled to a widower’s pension at a higher rate, in circumstances prescribed under section 13(6) of the Pensions Act, the widower is entitled to a pension payable for the period so prescribed.

(4) The weekly rate of a widower’s pension payable under paragraph (3)(d) is half of that part of the deceased’s guaranteed minimum which is attributable to earnings factors for the tax year 1988-89 and ending with the tax year 1996-7.

(5) In paragraph (4) “earnings factors” means the earnings factors referred to in section 10(2) of the Pensions Act.

(1)

1993 c. 49 as amended by S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I. 22) Article 147 and Schedule 3 paragraph 20