Finance Act 2004

“Primary protection”

9 (1) This paragraph applies if any of the individual’s uncrystallised rights on 5th April 2006 are rights under one or more arrangements under a pension scheme or schemes within paragraph 1(1)(a) to (d).

(2) The value of the individual’s uncrystallised rights on 5th April 2006 under the arrangement, or the aggregate of the values of the individual’s uncrystallised rights on 5th April 2006 under such of the arrangements as relate to a particular employment, is the lower of—

(a) the value, or the aggregate of the values, calculated under paragraph 8, and

(b) the amount arrived at in accordance with sub-paragraph (3).

(3) The amount arrived at in accordance with this sub-paragraph is—

20 × MPP

where MPP is the maximum permitted pension.

(4) “The maximum permitted pension” means the maximum annual pension that could be paid to the individual on 5th April 2006 under the arrangement or arrangements if it or they were made under a pension scheme within paragraph 1(1)(a) without giving the Board of Inland Revenue grounds for withdrawing approval of the pension scheme under section 591B of ICTA.

(5) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (4) it is to be assumed—

(a) if the individual was in the employment to which the arrangement or arrangements relates or relate on 5th April 2006, that the individual left the employment on that date, and

(b) if the individual had not reached the lowest age at which a pension may be paid under a pension scheme within paragraph 1(1)(a) to a person in good health without giving the Board of Inland Revenue grounds for withdrawing the approval of the pension scheme, that that fact would not give the Board such grounds.

(6) For the purposes of this paragraph an arrangement relating to an individual relates to an employment if—

(a) the earnings by reference to which benefits under the arrangement are calculated are earnings from the employment, or

(b) the person who is the employer in relation to the employment pays contributions under the arrangement in respect of the individual.