The Health and Personal Social Services (Superannuation) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend the Health and Personal Social Services (Superannuation) Regulations 1995 (“the principal Regulations”) which provide for the superannuation of persons engaged in the Health and Personal Social Services.

Regulation 6 shall have retrospective effect from 30th June 2000 and regulations 5 and 9 shall have retrospective effect from 1st July 2000 as authorised by Article 14(1) of the Superannuation (Northern Ireland) Order 1972.

Regulations 1 and 2 provide for the citation, commencement and interpretation of the Regulations. Regulation 3 makes minor amendments to definitions contained in regulation 2 of the principal Regulations (Definitions).

In relation to early retirement pension under regulation 14 of the principal Regulations (Early retirement pension (redundancy etc.)), provision is made for a member’s employment to be certified as terminated in the interests of the service only where his employing authority agrees (regulation 4), and for the reckoning of service in part-time employment for the purposes of that pension (regulation 7).

New arrangements are made for members to nominate someone other than their surviving spouse as the person who is to receive the lump sum payable on their death, with transitional protection for existing arrangements (regulations 5 and 10).

Provision is made for a member who leaves superannuable employment on or after 30th June 2000 with preserved pension rights under regulation 49 of the principal Regulations (Preserved pension) to elect to receive an actuarially reduced pension and lump sum after attaining the age of 50 (regulation 6).