The National Health Service Pension Scheme Regulations 2015

PART 2 Claims and payments

Claims for benefits

4.—(1) A person claiming to be entitled to benefits under these Regulations (“the claimant”) must make a claim in writing to the scheme manager.

(2) Pursuant to such a claim, the claimant and, where appropriate, the member’s employing authority (including any previous employing authority of the member) must provide such—

(a) evidence of entitlement;

(b) information required in order to deal with the claim; and

(c) authority or permission as may be necessary for the release by third parties of information in their possession relating to the claimant or member,

as the scheme manager may from time to time require for the purposes of these Regulations.

(3) A claim referred to in sub-paragraph (1) may be made by a person or persons other than the claimant where the scheme manager so provides.

(4) Any claim for benefit required in writing under these Regulations, and any evidence, information, authority or permission given in connection with that claim, may be made or given by means of an electronic communication where such method of communication is approved by the scheme manager from time to time.

(5) In this regulation, “electronic communication” has the same meaning as in section 15(1) of the Electronic Communications Act 2000(1).

Provision of information: continuing entitlement to benefits

5.—(1) The scheme manager may specify a date by which a person who is in receipt of a benefit under this scheme is to provide the scheme manager with all or any of the following material—

(a) evidence of the person’s identity;

(b) the person’s contact details;

(c) evidence of the person’s continuing entitlement to the benefit.

(2) Where a person fails to provide material in accordance with sub-paragraph (1), the scheme manager may withhold all, or any part of, any benefit payable to that person.

Trivial commutation lump sum

6.—(1) The scheme manager may pay a person entitled to a pension under this scheme a lump sum representing the capital value of the pension and of any benefits that might have become payable under the scheme on the person’s death apart from the payment if the conditions specified in sub-paragraph (2) are met.

(2) The conditions are that the payment complies with the following requirements (so far as apply)—

(a) the contracting-out requirements;

(b) the preservation requirements (see section 69(2) of the 1993 Act);

(c) regulation 2 of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Assignment, Forfeiture, Bankruptcy etc.) Regulations 1997(2);

(d) Part 2 of the Registered Pension Schemes (Authorised Payments) Regulations 2009(3);

(e) the lump sum rule (see in particular, paragraph 7 of Schedule 29 to the 2004 Act(4): trivial commutation lump sums for the purposes of Part 4 of that Act); and

(f) the lump sum death benefit rule (see, in particular, paragraph 20 of that Schedule(5): trivial commutation lump sum death benefit for the purposes of that Part).

(3) The lump sum must be calculated by the scheme manager in accordance with advice from the scheme actuary.

(4) The payment of a lump sum under this regulation discharges all liabilities of the scheme manager in respect of the pension in question and of any other such benefits as mentioned in sub-paragraph (1).

Beneficiaries who are incapable of looking after their affairs

7.—(1) In the case of a beneficiary who, in the opinion of the scheme manager, is by reason of illness, mental disorder, minority or otherwise unable to look after the beneficiary’s affairs, the scheme manager may—

(a) use any amount due to the beneficiary under the scheme for the beneficiary’s benefit, or

(b) pay it to some other person to do so.

(2) Payment of an amount to a person other than the beneficiary under sub-paragraph (1) discharges the scheme manager from any obligation under the scheme in respect of the amount.

Power to extend time limits

8.—(1) The appropriate authority may extend a time limit mentioned in these Regulations as it applies in a particular case.

(2) The appropriate authority is—

(a) the Secretary of State in relation to a function of the Secretary of State;

(b) the scheme manager in relation to a function of the scheme manager.

(1)

2000 c.7. Section 15(1) has been amended by section 406(1) of, and paragraph 158 of Schedule 17 to, the Communications Act 2003 (c.21).

(2)

S.I. 1997/785. Regulation 2 has been amended by S.I. 2002/681, 2005/706, 2006/744 and 2009/2930.

(3)

S.I. 2009/1171.

(4)

Paragraph 7 has been amended by sections 65 and 67 of, and paragraphs 23 and 29 of Schedule 16 and 1, 3, and 4(1) and (3) of Schedule 18 to, the Finance Act 2011 (c.11), section 42(1) of the Finance Act 2014 (c.26) and S.I. 2006/572.

(5)

Paragraph 20 has been amended by sections 65 and 67 of, and paragraphs 32 and 39 of Schedule 16 and 1, 3, and 6(1) to (3) of Schedule 18 to, the Finance Act 2011 (c.11).