The Occupational Pension Schemes (Preservation of Benefit) Regulations 1991

Benefits attributable to waiting periods

13.—(1) This regulation applies where—

(a) an earner in relevant employment is required to complete a period of service (“waiting period”) before joining the scheme, and

(b) if the earner joins the scheme, a specific part of long service benefit will, in the Occupational Pensions Board’s opinion, be attributable to the waiting period.

(2) Where this regulation applies, the preservation requirements are modified so that—

(a) the waiting period is treated as pensionable service,

(b) the earner is treated as a member during that period, and

(c) the part of long service benefit that will, in the Occupational Pensions Board’s opinion, be attributable to the waiting period is treated as accruing at such a rate as to accrue in full over the whole of the waiting period.

(3) This paragraph applies where the rate at which long service benefit is treated as accruing during the waiting period is lower than the rate at which the rest of long service benefit accrues. In such circumstances short service benefit must be computed on the basis of uniform accrual (in accordance with paragraph 11 of Schedule 16) except that the scheme may provide for short service benefit to be computed on the same basis as long service benefit (in accordance with paragraph 10(1) of Schedule 16) where the Occupational Pensions Board consider it is reasonable to do so.