The Armed Forces Pension Scheme Order 2005

Transfers In U.K.

F.7.    Right to apply for acceptance of transfer value payment from another scheme U.K.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part, an active member may apply for a transfer value payment in respect of some or all of the rights that have accrued to or in respect of him under any of the following kinds of scheme or arrangement to be accepted by the Scheme.

(2) They are—

(a) another occupational pension scheme,

(b) a personal pension scheme,

(c) a retirement annuity contract, or

(d) the Armed Forces Additional Voluntary Contributions Scheme.

(3) Paragraph (1) does not apply to rights that are directly attributable to a pension credit.

(4) Paragraph (1) only applies in the case of a transfer from the Armed Forces Additional Voluntary Contributions Scheme if the Secretary of State considers that the amount to which the member is entitled under that Scheme is insufficient for the purchase of an annuity for the member.

(5) Paragraph (1) does not apply if the member is on unpaid leave that does not count as reckonable service.

F.8.    Procedure for applications under rule F.7 U.K.

(1) An application under rule F.7—

(a) must be made in writing,

(b) must specify the scheme or arrangement from which the transfer value payment is to be made and the anticipated amount of the payment, and

(c) must be made before the beginning of the period of one year ending with the date on which the member reaches pension benefit age.

But sub-paragraph (c) is subject to paragraph (2).

(2) In the case of a transfer value payment to be made under the public sector transfer arrangements, the application under rule F.7—

(a) must be made during the period of one year beginning with the day on which the member becomes eligible to be an active member, and

(b) must be received by the Scheme administrator before the applicant reaches the age which is the normal pension age under the scheme by which the transfer value payment is to be made.

F.9.    Acceptance of transfer value payments U.K.

(1) Where an application is duly made by a member under rule F.7, the Scheme administrator may accept the transfer value payment if such conditions as the Secretary of State may require are met, unless paragraph (4) applies.

(2) If the Scheme administrator accepts the payment, the member is entitled to count the appropriate period of reckonable service for the purposes of the Scheme.

(3) In paragraph (2) “the appropriate period” means the period calculated in accordance with rule F.10.

(4) The Scheme administrator may not accept a transfer value payment if—

(a) it would be applied in whole or in part in respect of the member’s or the member’s spouse’s entitlement to a guaranteed minimum pension, and

(b) it is less than the amount required for that purpose, as calculated in accordance with guidance and tables prepared by the Scheme actuary for the purposes of this paragraph.

(5) Paragraph (4) does not apply if the payment is made under the public sector transfer arrangements.

F.10.    Calculation of transferred-in reckonable service U.K.

(1) The period of reckonable service that a member is entitled to count under rule F.9(2) is calculated as at the date on which the transfer payment is received by the Scheme and in accordance with guidance and tables provided by the Scheme actuary for the purpose.

This is subject to paragraph (3).

(2) For the purposes of that calculation the member’s pensionable earnings are to be taken to be the amount of those earnings as at—

(a) two months after the application under rule F.7 is received, or

(b) the date on which the transfer value payment is received,

whichever is the later, and, in a case where the transfer value payment is received earlier than two months after that application is received, any necessary adjustment is to be made to that calculation to reflect any change in the amount of those earnings.

(3) If the transfer value payment is accepted under the public sector transfer arrangements, the period the member is entitled to count is calculated—

(a) in accordance with those arrangements, and

(b) by reference to the guidance and tables provided by the Government Actuary for the purposes of this paragraph, that are in use on the date that is used by the transferring scheme for calculating the transfer value payment.