Article 2(1)
SCHEDULE 1N.I.Amendments of the Pension Schemes Act relating to contracted-out occupational and appropriate personal pension schemes, extending those provisions to surviving civil partners
1. The Pension Schemes Act is amended in accordance with paragraphs 2 to 24.N.I.
2. In section 4(2) (meaning of “contracted-out employment”, “guaranteed minimum pension” and “minimum payment”), in the definition of “guaranteed minimum pension”, for “widow’s or widower's” there shall be substituted “widow's, widower’s or surviving civil partner's”.N.I.
3. In section 8A(1) and (2)(b)() (the statutory standard) for “widows or widowers” there shall be substituted “widows, widowers or surviving civil partners”.N.I.
4. In section 8B(4)() (reference scheme) for “widows or widowers”, in each place where it occurs, there shall be substituted “widows, widowers or surviving civil partners”.N.I.
5. In section 13 (minimum pensions for widows and widowers)—N.I.
(a)in subsection (1) for “widow or widower”, in each place where it occurs, there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”;
(b)in subsection (2), after paragraph (b) there shall be added the following paragraph—
“(c)if the earner is a person who has a guaranteed minimum under that section, the weekly rate of the surviving civil partner’s pension will not be less than the surviving civil partner’s guaranteed minimum.”;
(c)in subsection (4) after “widower's” there shall be inserted “or surviving civil partner's”;
(d)in subsection (4A)()—
(i)at the beginning there shall be inserted “Subject to subsection (4B)”;
(ii)for “widow or widower's” there shall be substituted “widow's, widower’s or surviving civil partner's”;
(iii)for “widow or widower”, in each place where it occurs (other than paragraph (c)(i) and (ii)), there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”;
(iv)for paragraph (c)(i) and (ii) there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraphs—
“(i)comprises a period during which the widow, widower or surviving civil partner and—
(a)a person of the opposite sex are living together as husband and wife, or
(b)a person of the same sex are living together as if they were civil partners, nor
(ii)falls after the time of any—
(a)marriage, or
(b)formation of a civil partnership,
by the widow or widower or surviving civil partner which takes place after the earner’s death.”;
(e)after subsection (4A), there shall be inserted the following subsection—
“(4B) Sub-paragraphs (i)(b) and (ii)(b) of subsection (4A)(c) do not apply where the earner dies before 5th December 2005.”;
(f)in subsection (6)() for “widower’s pension to be payable to him” there shall be substituted “widower’s or surviving civil partner’s pension to be payable”;
(g)in subsection (7)() for “widowers or widows” there shall be substituted “widows, widowers or surviving civil partners”, and
(h)after subsection (8)() there shall be added the following subsection—
“(9) For the purposes of subsection (4A), two people of the same sex are to be regarded as living together as if they were civil partners if, but only if, they would be regarded as living together as husband and wife were they instead two people of the opposite sex.”.
6. In section 15(5)(a)(i) and (ii) (discharge of liability where guaranteed minimum pensions secured by insurance policies or annuity contracts) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.N.I.
7. In section 16(6) (transfer of accrued rights) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.N.I.
8. In section 17(2) (commutation, surrender and forfeiture) for “widow’s or widower's” there shall be substituted “widow's, widower’s or surviving civil partner's”.N.I.
9. In section 19(3)(b) (securing of benefits)() for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.N.I.
10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .N.I.
11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .N.I.
12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .N.I.
13. In section 33(4)() (alteration of rules of contracted-out schemes) after “widower” there shall be inserted “or surviving civil partner”.N.I.
14. In section 34(2) (alteration of rules of appropriate schemes)—N.I.
(a)after “apply” there shall be inserted “(a)”, and
(b)after “prescribed description” there shall be inserted—
“; or
(b)where the rules of the relevant scheme are altered to make provision for pensions for surviving civil partners”.
15. In section 43() (further provisions concerning entitlement to guaranteed minimum pensions for the purposes of section 42)—N.I.
(a)in subsection (1) after “widower” there shall be inserted “or surviving civil partner”;
(b)in subsection (3)—
(i)for “widow or widower”, in each place where it occurs, there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”, and
(ii)for “widow’s or widower's” there shall be substituted “widow's, widower’s or surviving civil partner's”.
16. In section 44(2)(c)() (reduced benefits where minimum payments or minimum contributions paid) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.N.I.
17. In section 56(5)() (effect of payment of premium on rights) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.N.I.
18. In section 83 (general protection principle)—N.I.
(a)in subsection (2)(c) for “widow or widower, the widow’s or, as the case may be, the widower's” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner, the widow's, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s (as the case may be)”;
(b)in subsection (3) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”;
(c)in subsections (3)(a) and (4)(d) for “widow’s or widower's” there shall be substituted “widow's, widower’s or surviving civil partner's”.
19. In section 84(1)(b) (the relevant sum) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.N.I.
20. In section 85(1)(a) and (b) and (2)(b) (the appropriate addition) for “widow’s or widower's” there shall be substituted “widow's, widower’s or surviving civil partner's”.N.I.
21. In section 86(2)(a) and (b) (the later earnings addition) for “widow’s or widower's” there shall be substituted “widow's, widower’s or surviving civil partner's”.N.I.
22. In section 105(1)(b) (annual increase of guaranteed minimum pensions) for “widows and widowers” there shall be substituted “widows, widowers and surviving civil partners”.N.I.
23. In section 106(1)(b)() (requirement as to resources for annual increase of guaranteed minimum pensions) for “widow or widower”, in each place where it occurs, there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.N.I.
24.—(1) In section 165(1)(c)() (determination of questions by Department) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.N.I.
(2) The reference in sub-paragraph (1) to section 165 is a reference to that section as it has effect without the substitution made by paragraph 99 of Schedule 6 to the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1998().
Article 2(2)
SCHEDULE 2N.I.Amendments of provisions of Regulations relating to contracted-out occupational and appropriate personal pension schemes, extending those provisions to surviving civil partners
PART 1N.I.
Amendment of the Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Abatement of Benefit) RegulationsN.I.
1. The Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Abatement of Benefit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987() are amended in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3.
2. In regulation 3() (guaranteed minimum pension to which earner’s widow or widower is treated as entitled after minimum contributions have been paid)—
(a)in the heading for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”;
(b)for “widow or widower”, in each place where it occurs, there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”, and
(c)in paragraph (2) after “widower” there shall be inserted “or surviving civil partner”.
3. In regulation 5() (guaranteed minimum pension to which earner’s widow or widower is treated as entitled after minimum payments have been made)—
(a)in the heading for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”;
(b)for “widow or widower”, in each place where it occurs, there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”, and
(c)in paragraph (2) after “widower” there shall be inserted “or surviving civil partner”.
PART 2N.I.
Amendment of the Contracting-out (Protection of Pensions) RegulationsN.I.
4. The Contracting-out (Protection of Pensions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991() are amended in accordance with paragraphs 5 to 8.
5. In regulation 2(1) (hybrid benefits) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.
6. In regulation 4() (pensions for widows and widowers varied after commencement)—
(a)in the heading for “widows and widowers” there shall be substituted “widows, widowers and surviving civil partners”, and
(b)for “widow or widower”, in each place where it occurs, there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.
7. In regulation 5() (the relevant sum for widows and widowers)—
(a)in the heading for “widows and widowers” there shall be substituted “widows, widowers and surviving civil partners”, and
(b)in paragraph (2)—
(i)for “widow or widower” (in the first place where it occurs) there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”, and
(ii)in sub-paragraph (a) after “widow or widower” there shall be inserted “or being then a civil partner of the surviving civil partner”.
8. In regulation 8(1) (the later earnings addition) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.
PART 3N.I.
Amendment of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Discharge of Protected Rights on Winding Up) RegulationsN.I.
9. In regulation 5(a) of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Discharge of Protected Rights on Winding Up) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996() (conditions on which appropriate policies of insurance may be commuted) for “his widow or her widower” there shall be substituted “the beneficiary’s widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.
PART 4N.I.
Amendment of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Contracting-out) RegulationsN.I.
10. The Occupational Pension Schemes (Contracting-out) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 () are amended in accordance with paragraphs 11 to 23.
11. In regulation 1 (citation, commencement and interpretation) after paragraph (1) there shall be inserted the following paragraph—
“(1A) For the purposes of these Regulations, two people of the same sex are to be regarded as living together as if they were civil partners if, but only if, they would be regarded as living together as husband and wife were they instead two people of the opposite sex.”.
12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13. In regulation 23(b) (requirements for meeting the statutory standard) for “widows or widowers”, in each place where it occurs, there shall be substituted “widows, widowers or surviving civil partners”.
14. For regulation 26 (reference scheme: circumstances in which widows' or widowers' pensions need not be payable) there shall be substituted the following regulation—
“Reference scheme: circumstances in which widows', widowers' or surviving civil partners' pensions need not be payable
26.—(1) For the purposes of section 8B(4)(a)() of the Act (reference scheme to provide widows', widowers' and surviving civil partners' pensions except in prescribed circumstances), and subject to paragraph (2), the prescribed circumstances are where—
(a)the scheme member marries or forms a civil partnership after having received benefits under the scheme;
(b)the widow, widower or surviving civil partner of the scheme member—
(i)remarries or, as the case may be, marries;
(ii)forms a civil partnership or, as the case may be, forms a subsequent civil partnership;
(iii)lives together as husband and wife with another person to whom he or she is not married, or
(iv)lives together with a person of the same sex as if they were civil partners,
after having received benefits under the scheme;
(c)the widow, widower or surviving civil partner of the scheme member is at the time of the member’s death—
(i)living together as husband and wife with another person to whom he or she is not married, or
(ii)living together with a person of the same sex as if they were civil partners.
(2) Paragraph (1)(b)(ii) and (iv) and (c)(ii) does not apply where the scheme member dies before 5th December 2005.”.
15. In regulation 45(3A)() (approval of arrangements for schemes ceasing to be contracted-out) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.
16. In regulation 50A() (persons to be regarded as members) for “widow’s or widower's” there shall be substituted “widow's, widower’s or surviving civil partner's”.
17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PART 5N.I.
Amendment of the Protected Rights (Transfer Payment) RegulationsN.I.
24. In regulation 4(d) of the Protected Rights (Transfer Payment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996() (transfer payments to salary related contracted-out schemes) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.
PART 6N.I.
Amendment of the Contracting-out (Transfer and Transfer Payment) RegulationsN.I.
25. In paragraph 6(b) of Part III of Schedule 1 to the Contracting-out (Transfer and Transfer Payment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996() (further conditions for transfer of liability for the payment of a guaranteed minimum pension to, or in respect of, a person who has become entitled to it) for “his widow or her widower” there shall be substituted “the widow, widower or surviving civil partner of that person”.
PART 7N.I.
Amendment of the Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Protected Rights) RegulationsN.I.
26. The Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Protected Rights) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997() are amended in accordance with paragraphs 27 to 35.
27. In regulation 1(2) (citation, commencement and interpretation) after the definition of “child benefit” there shall be inserted the following definition—
““marital or civil partnership status”, in relation to a person, means whether that person has previously formed a marriage or a civil partnership and, if so, whether that marriage or civil partnership has ended;”.
28. In regulation 4 (conditions applying to pensions and annuities which give effect to protected rights)—
(a)in paragraph (2)(b)()—
(i)for “an unmarried member” there shall be substituted “a member who is neither married nor a civil partner”, and
(ii)for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”, and
(b)in paragraph (9)(a) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.
29. In regulation 5() (circumstances in which and periods for which pension or annuity is to be paid to widow or widower after being paid to member)—
(a)in the heading for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”;
(b)in paragraph (1)(b) for “widow’s or widower's” there shall be substituted “widow's, widower’s or surviving civil partner's”, and
(c)for paragraph (2) there shall be substituted the following paragraphs—
“(2) There is excluded from the period prescribed in paragraph (1)(b) any period after—
(a)the widow’s or widower’s remarriage or the surviving civil partner’s marriage under pensionable age, or
(b)subject to paragraph (3), the widow’s or widower’s formation of a civil partnership, or the surviving civil partner’s formation of a subsequent civil partnership under pensionable age.
(3) Paragraph (2)(b) does not apply where the member dies before 5th December 2005.”.
30. In regulation 6(c) (interim arrangements)—
(a)for “an unmarried member” there shall be substituted “a member who is neither married nor a civil partner”, and
(b)for “widow or widower”, in each place where it occurs, there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.
31. In regulation 11(1)(b)() (insurers that may provide protected rights by way of annuities) after “marital” there shall be inserted “or civil partnership”.
32. In regulation 12() (death of member before effect given to his protected rights)—
(a)in paragraph (2), in each place where it occurs, and paragraphs (3), (5), (9), (11)(a), (12), (13) and (14), for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”;
(b)in paragraph (5) for sub-paragraph (b) there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraphs—
“(b)in the case of a widow or widower, remarries or, in the case of a surviving civil partner, marries while under pensionable age, or
(c)subject to paragraph (15), in the case of a widow or widower, forms a civil partnership or, in the case of a surviving civil partner, forms a subsequent civil partnership while under pensionable age.”;
(c)in paragraph (9) for sub-paragraph (b) there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraphs—
“(b)in the case of a widow or widower, remarried or, in the case of a surviving civil partner, married while under pensionable age, or
(c)subject to paragraph (15), in the case of a widow or widower, formed a civil partnership or, in the case of a surviving civil partner, formed a subsequent civil partnership while under pensionable age.”, and
(d)after paragraph (14) there shall be added the following paragraph—
“(15) Paragraphs (5)(c) and (9)(c) do not apply where the member dies before 5th December 2005.”.
33. In regulation 13() (death before effect given to protected rights: interim arrangements for widow or widower)—
(a)in the heading for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”;
(b)in paragraph (1) for “widow or widower”, in each place where it occurs, there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”, and
(c)in paragraph (2)(a)(ii) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.
34. In regulation 14 (enforceable entitlement after death of member) after “widower” there shall be inserted “, surviving civil partner”.
35. In regulation 15 (further requirements in respect of giving effect to protected rights) after “marital” there shall be inserted “or civil partnership”.
PART 8N.I.
Amendment of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Modification of Schemes) RegulationsN.I.
36. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
PART 9N.I.
Amendment of the Personal Pension Schemes (Appropriate Schemes) RegulationsN.I.
37. In regulation 6A of the Personal Pension Schemes (Appropriate Schemes) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997() (provision of information for purposes of contracting-out) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.
PART 10N.I.
Amendment of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Discharge of Liability) RegulationsN.I.
38. The Occupational Pension Schemes (Discharge of Liability) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997() are amended in accordance with paragraphs 39 to 45.
39. In regulation 1 (citation, commencement and interpretation), after paragraph (1) there shall be inserted the following paragraph—
“(1A) For the purposes of these Regulations, two people of the same sex are to be regarded as living together as if they were civil partners if, but only if, they would be regarded as living together as husband and wife were they instead two people of the opposite sex.”.
40. In regulation 3(a) (conditions on which policies of insurance and annuity contracts may be assigned or surrendered) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.
41. In regulation 4 (conditions on which policies of insurance and annuity contracts may be commuted)—
(a)in paragraph (1)(a)(i) for “or widower” there shall be substituted “, widower or surviving civil partner”, and
(b)in paragraph (2) for “widow’s or widower's” there shall be substituted “widow's, widower’s or surviving civil partner's”.
42. In regulation 6 (further conditions on which liability may be discharged)—
(a)in paragraph (2)(a) for “or widower” there shall be substituted “, widower or surviving civil partner”, and
(b)in paragraph (5) for “widow or widower”, in each place where it occurs, there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”.
43. In regulation 9(2) (circumstances in which liability to provide pensions under a relevant scheme may be discharged) for “widow or widower, or if there is no such widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner or, if there is no such person”.
44. In regulation 11 (conditions on which liability to provide pensions under a relevant scheme may be discharged)—
(a)in paragraph (3)()—
(i)in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) for “widow or widower” there shall be substituted “widow, widower or surviving civil partner”;
(ii)in sub-paragraph (b) omit “and (c)”;
(b)for paragraph (4) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—
“(4) Subject to paragraph (7), the circumstances referred to in paragraph (3) are—
(a)the beneficiary marries or forms a civil partnership after having received benefits under the policy or contract;
(b)the widow, widower or surviving civil partner of the beneficiary—
(i)remarries or, as the case may be, marries;
(ii)forms a civil partnership or, as the case may be, forms a subsequent civil partnership;
(iii)lives together as husband and wife with another person to whom he or she is not married;
(iv)lives together with a person of the same sex as if they were civil partners, or
(v)at the time of the beneficiary’s death—
(a)is living together as husband and wife with another person to whom he or she is not married, or
(b)is living together with a person of the same sex as if they were civil partners.”;
(c)after paragraph (6), there shall be added the following paragraph—
“(7) Paragraph (4)(b)(ii), (iv) and (v)(b) does not apply where the beneficiary dies before 5th December 2005.”.
45. In Schedule 1 (form of consent to arrangement for securing benefit) after “widower”, in each place where it occurs, there shall be inserted “/surviving civil partner”.