The Pension Sharing (Safeguarded Rights) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Pension Sharing (Safeguarded Rights) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 and shall come into operation on 1st December 2000.

(2) In these Regulations—

“the Pension Credit Benefit Regulations” means the Pension Sharing (Pension Credit Benefit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000(1);

“the Protected Rights Regulations” means the Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Protected Rights) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(2);

“appropriate scheme” and “appropriate personal pension scheme” shall be construed in accordance with section 5(5);

“interim arrangement” means an interim arrangement which complies with section 24A(3), and satisfies the conditions specified in regulation 6 of the Protected Rights Regulations;

“member” means member of an occupational pension scheme or personal pension scheme;

“normal benefit age” has the meaning given by section 97B(4);

“pension credit” means a credit under Article 26(1)(b);

“pension credit benefit” has the meaning given by section 97P(1)(5);

“salary related contracted-out scheme” has the meaning given by section 4(1)(a)(i)(6);

“section 5(2B) rights” has the meaning given by regulation 1(2) of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Contracting-out) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(7);

“trustees or managers” has the meaning given by Article 43(1).

(3) Subject to paragraph (5), the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(8) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

(4) In these Regulations—

(a) any reference to a numbered section is a reference to the section of the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993 bearing that number, and

(b) any reference to a numbered Article is a reference to the Article of the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999(9) bearing that number.

(5) For the purposes of these Regulations and notwithstanding section 39(2) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954, where a period of time is expressed to begin on, or to be reckoned from, a particular day, that day shall be included in the period.

(1)

S.R. 2000 No. 146

(2)

S.R. 1997 No. 56, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations

(3)

Section 24A was inserted by Article 140 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

(4)

Section 97B is inserted by Article 34 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999

(5)

Section 97P is inserted by Article 34 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999

(6)

Section 4(1)(a)(i) was substituted by Article 133(2) of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995

(7)

S.R. 1996 No. 493; the definition of “section 5(2B) rights” was substituted by paragraph 5(2) of the Schedule to S.R. 1997 No. 160 and amended by regulation 4(2)(b) of S.R. 1999 No. 486

(8)

1954 c. 33 (N.I.)

(9)

S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11)