These Regulations make amendments to the Occupational Pension Schemes (Winding Up) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (“the Winding Up Regulations”), the Occupational Pension Schemes (Deficiency on Winding Up, etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (“the Deficiency on Winding Up Regulations”) and the Occupational Pension Schemes (Transfer Values) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (“the Transfer Values Regulations”).

Regulation 1 provides for citation and commencement.

Regulation 2 amends regulations 4 and 4B of, and inserts regulation 4C into, the Winding Up Regulations and regulation 3 amends regulations 3 and 3A of, and inserts regulations 3C and 3D into, the Deficiency on Winding Up Regulations to provide for the calculation of liabilities in the case of any occupational pension scheme to which Article 75 of the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (“the Order”) applies and apply to schemes which begin to wind up on or after 15th February 2005 (“the commencement date”) and where the date by reference to which the liabilities and assets of the scheme are determined, calculated and verified falls on or after the commencement date. The inserted regulation 3D of the Deficiency on Winding Up Regulations applies to multi-employer schemes where the scheme is not being wound up but the employer becomes insolvent on or after the commencement date.

Regulation 4C of the Winding Up Regulations and regulations 3C and 3D of the Deficiency on Winding Up Regulations require the scheme’s liabilities to be calculated and valued on a basis which assumes that any accrued rights to a pension or other benefit under the scheme for members with more than two years of pensionable service, as well as any entitlement to the payment of a pension that has arisen under the scheme (including any increase in a pension), will be discharged by the purchase of annuities.

Regulation 4 amends regulation 11 of the Transfer Values Regulations to require trustees who receive a request for a statement of entitlement to a guaranteed cash equivalent to inform the member, where the scheme is being wound up, that the value of the member’s guaranteed cash equivalent may be affected by the scheme winding up, that a decision to take a guaranteed cash equivalent should be given careful consideration, and that the member should consider taking independent financial advice before deciding whether to take the guaranteed cash equivalent.

Regulation 5 makes consequential revocations.

As these Regulations make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision contained in regulations made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in relation to Great Britain, the requirement for consultation under Article 117(1) of the Order does not apply by virtue of paragraph (2)(e) of that Article.

An assessment of the cost to business of these Regulations is detailed in a Regulatory Impact Assessment, copies of which have been laid in the Business Office and the Library of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Copies of the Assessment are available from the Department for Social Development, Social Security Policy and Legislation Division, Room 5, Block 5, Stormont Estate, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 3SJ.