Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992

48 Use of former spouse’s contributions.N.I.

(1)Where a person [F1who attained pensionable age before 6 April 2016]

(a)has been [F2in a relevant relationship], and

(b)in respect of the tax year in which the [F3relationship] terminated or any previous tax year, does not with his own contributions satisfy the contribution conditions for a Category A retirement pension,

then, for the purpose of enabling him to satisfy those conditions (but only in respect of any claim for a Category A retirement pension), the contributions of his former spouse [F4or civil partner] may to the prescribed extent be treated as if they were his own contributions.

(2)Subsection (1) above shall not apply in relation to any person who attained pensionable age before 6th April 1979 if the termination of his [F5relevant relationship] also occurred before that date.

[F6(2A)Regulations under subsection (1) may not provide for contributions of a person in respect of times on or after 6 April 2016 to be treated as contributions of another person.]

[F7(3)Where a person has been in a relevant relationship more than once, this section applies only to the last relevant relationship and the references to his relevant relationship and his former spouse or civil partner shall be construed accordingly.]

[F7(4)In this section, “relevant relationship” means a marriage or civil partnership.]