Finance Act 1994

Small benefits and abolition of certification U.K.

5 (1) Section 55 of the 1989 Act (eligible contracts) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (2) (conditions for contract’s being eligible) the following paragraphs shall be inserted after paragraph (b)—

“(ba) at the relevant time the contract satisfies the conditions set out in subsection (2A) below,

(bb) the contract is not one in the case of which subsection (2D) below applies,”.

(3) Also in subsection (2)—

(a) after paragraph (c) there shall be inserted “ and ”, and

(b) paragraph (e) and the word “and” immediately preceding it shall be omitted.

(4) The following subsections shall be inserted after subsection (2)—

“(2A) The conditions referred to in subsection (2)(ba) above are that—

(a) the contract either provides indemnity in respect of all or any of the costs of all or any of the treatments, medical services and other matters for the time being specified in regulations made by the Treasury, or in addition to providing indemnity of that description provides cash benefits falling within rules for the time being so specified,

(b) the contract does not confer any right other than such a right as is mentioned in paragraph (a) above or is for the time being specified in regulations made by the Treasury,

(c) the premium under the contract is reasonable, and

(d) the contract satisfies such other requirements as are for the time being specified in regulations made by the Treasury.

(2B) In a case where—

(a) at the relevant time the contract confers a material right, or more than one such right, but

(b) the total cost to the insurer of providing benefits in pursuance of the material right or (as the case may be) in pursuance of all the material rights would not exceed the prescribed sum,

the contract shall not thereby be regarded as failing to satisfy at the relevant time the condition set out in subsection (2A)(b) above.

(2C) For the purposes of subsection (2B) above a material right is a right which—

(a) is not a right such as is mentioned in subsection (2A)(a) above or such as is for the time being specified in regulations made under subsection (2A)(b) above, and

(b) is not a right to a cash benefit.

(2D) This subsection applies in the case of a contract (the main contract) if—

(a) at least one other contract is entered into which is a contract (a collateral contract) under which a benefit is provided in consideration of the insured’s entering into the main contract, and

(b) the cost to the insurer of fulfilling his obligations under the collateral contract (or, if there is more than one collateral contract, of fulfilling his obligations under all of them) exceeds the prescribed sum.”

(5) Subsections (3) to (6) shall be omitted.

(6) In subsection (9) (approved benefit) for “mentioned in section 56(3)(a) below” there shall be substituted the following paragraphs—

“(a) mentioned in subsection (2A)(a) above, or

(b) for the time being specified in regulations made under subsection (2A)(b) above.”

(7) The following subsections shall be inserted after subsection (9)—

“(10) For the purposes of this section a benefit is also an approved benefit if it is not a cash benefit and—

(a) it is a single benefit provided otherwise than as mentioned in subsection (9) above and the cost to the insurer of providing it does not exceed the prescribed sum, or

(b) it is one of a number of benefits provided otherwise than as mentioned in subsection (9) above and the total cost to the insurer of providing the benefits does not exceed the prescribed sum.

(11) In this section the reference to a premium, in relation to a contract of insurance, is to any amount payable under the contract to the insurer.

(12) For the purposes of this section the prescribed sum is £30.

(13) The Treasury may by order substitute for the sum for the time being specified in subsection (12) above such sum as may be specified in the order; and any such substitution shall have effect in relation to cases where the relevant time falls on or after such date as is specified in the order.”

(8) This paragraph shall apply where the time which is the relevant time for the purposes of section 55 falls on or after 1st July 1994.

6 The Board shall not certify a contract under section 56 of the 1989 Act in such a way that the certification is expressed to take effect on or after 1st July 1994.