Finance Act 2000

Conversion of certain approved retirement benefits schemes U.K.

27 U.K. After Schedule 23 insert—

Section 631A.

“SCHEDULE 23ZA U.K. Conversion of certain approved retirement benefits schemes

Interpretation U.K.

1 (1) In this Schedule—

• “the date of the change” shall be construed in accordance with paragraph 3(2) below;

• “eligible scheme” shall be construed in accordance with paragraph 2(4) below;

• “the personal pension provisions of this Act” means this Schedule and the other provisions of Chapter IV of Part XIV;

• “prescribed” (except in paragraph 2(3)(c)) means specified in, or determined in accordance with, regulations;

• “regulations” means regulations made by the Board.

(2) Any power conferred by this Schedule to make regulations includes power to make different provision for different cases or different purposes.

Eligible schemes U.K.

2 (1) This Schedule applies to any retirement benefits scheme which is for the time being approved under Chapter I of Part XIV.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) above is subject to the following provisions of this paragraph.

(3) This Schedule applies to a retirement benefits scheme only if—

(a) it is an occupational pension scheme, as defined in section 1 of the M1 Pension Schemes Act 1993 or section 1 of the M2 Pensions Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993;

(b) it is a money-purchase scheme, as defined in section 181 of the M3 Pension Schemes Act 1993 or section 176 of the M4 Pensions Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993;

(c) any documents relating to the scheme which are prescribed under section 631(1) are such that, subject to approval under paragraph 3 below, the scheme is capable of being an approved personal pension scheme for the purposes of Chapter IV of Part XIV as from the date of the change; and

(d) such other conditions as may be prescribed are satisfied in the case of the scheme.

(4) Any retirement benefits scheme to which this Schedule applies is referred to in this Schedule as an “eligible scheme".

Approval of eligible schemes as approved personal pension schemes U.K.

3 (1) The trustees of an eligible scheme may at any time on or after 1st October 2000 apply to the Board for approval of the scheme under this paragraph.

(2) If an application under sub-paragraph (1) above is granted, the eligible scheme shall, as from such date as the Board may specify in granting the application (the “date of the change”),—

(a) irrevocably cease to be approved, and to be capable of approval, under Chapter I of Part XIV; and

(b) become an approved personal pension scheme (and subject accordingly to section 631(4) and the other provisions of Chapter IV of Part XIV).

(3) The date of the change must not be earlier than 6th April 2001.

(4) An application under sub-paragraph (1) above shall be in such form, shall contain such information, and shall be accompanied by such documents, in such form, and prepared as at such time, as the Board may prescribe.

(5) The Board may at their discretion grant or refuse an application under sub-paragraph (1) above.

(6) The Board’s discretion under sub-paragraph (5) above shall be subject to the restrictions set out in sections 632 to 638A and this Schedule.

(7) The Board shall give notice to the applicant of the grant or refusal of an application.

(8) A notice under sub-paragraph (7) above shall, in the case of a refusal, state the grounds for the refusal.

(9) If, at any time after the making of an application under sub-paragraph (1) above, the eligible scheme concerned ceases to be approved under Chapter I of Part XIV otherwise than by virtue of the operation of sub-paragraph (2)(a) above, the scheme shall not, by virtue of that application, become an approved personal pension scheme.

Excessive funding of certain individual members U.K.

4 (1) The Board may refuse or withhold approval under paragraph 3 above in the case of an eligible scheme of a prescribed description if or so long as they are not satisfied that prescribed requirements will be fulfilled with respect to—

(a) the value of any prescribed benefits which may be provided for or in respect of an individual member of a prescribed description, and

(b) the value of the assets held for the purpose of providing benefits for or in respect of that member,

if approval under paragraph 3 above is granted.

(2) Regulations may make provision for or in connection with cases where the value mentioned in paragraph (b) of sub-paragraph (1) above exceeds, or exceeds by more than a prescribed percentage, the value mentioned in paragraph (a) of that sub-paragraph.

(3) The provision that may be made by virtue of sub-paragraph (2) above includes provision for or in connection with eliminating or reducing any such excess within a prescribed period by one or more prescribed methods.

(4) Regulations may make provision for the purposes of this paragraph for or in connection with—

(a) the valuation of benefits; or

(b) the valuation of assets.

(5) The provision that may be made by virtue of sub-paragraph (4)(a) or (b) above includes provision with respect to, or in connection with,—

(a) the person by whom any such valuation is to be made;

(b) the method or principles of valuation to be used;

(c) certification of any such valuations and of any prescribed matters relating to or connected with them;

(d) any facts, matters or assumptions by reference to which any such valuation is to be made;

(e) any tables to be used for the purpose of making any such valuation;

(f) the basis on which any such tables are to be prepared;

(g) the manner in which any such tables are to be applied.

(6) The methods or principles of valuation and the tables that may be prescribed by virtue of sub-paragraph (5) above include methods or principles or, as the case may be, tables published by the Government Actuary for any purposes of the personal pension provisions of this Act.

Directions as to contributions between valuation and date of change etc. U.K.

5 (1) The Board may give directions for or in connection with—

(a) prohibiting the making of contributions during the post-valuation period, or

(b) restricting the amount of the contributions that may be made during that period,

by or in respect of members of a converting scheme.

(2) Directions under sub-paragraph (1) above—

(a) may be given in respect of schemes generally, schemes of a particular description or any particular scheme or schemes; and

(b) may make different provision in relation to different schemes or different members.

(3) Any directions under sub-paragraph (1) above must be complied with by—

(a) the trustees and managers, or administrators, of any scheme to which the directions relate;

(b) any member of such a scheme to whom the directions relate; and

(c) any person who is the employer of such a member.

(4) If there is any contravention of, or failure to comply with, directions under sub-paragraph (1) above, the Board may—

(a) refuse or withhold approval of the conversion application in question; or

(b) revoke or vary any approval granted or any conditions pending the satisfaction of which approval is withheld.

(5) Sub-paragraph (4) above is without prejudice to any other powers of the Board.

(6) In this paragraph—

• “conversion application”, in the case of a converting scheme, means the application under paragraph 3(1) above in respect of the scheme;

• “converting scheme” means a scheme in respect of which an application under paragraph 3(1) above has been made and not withdrawn or finally refused;

• “the post-valuation period”, in the case of a converting scheme, means the period which—

  (a)

  begins with the day as at which any valuation for the purposes of paragraph 4 above is made in connection with the conversion application; and

  (b)

  ends with the day preceding the date of the change (or, if earlier, the date on which the conversion application is withdrawn or finally refused).

(7) For the purposes of this paragraph, an application is “finally refused” when it has been refused by the Board and—

(a) the time for appealing under section 651 against the refusal has expired without such an appeal being made; or

(b) an appeal under that section against the refusal has been withdrawn or finally disposed of in a way which affirms refusal of the application.

(8) Any directions under this paragraph must be given in writing.

Scheme rules to allow changes for purpose of conversion U.K.

6 An approved retirement benefits scheme shall be taken to include provisions allowing the making of changes to any provisions of the scheme for the purpose of enabling the scheme to become an eligible scheme, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any provision of the scheme.”.

Marginal Citations

M1 1993 c. 48.

M2 1993 c. 49.

M3 1993 c. 48.

M4 1993 c. 49.