Legislation – The Health and Social Care Pension Schemes (Remediable Service) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023

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Introduction

PART 1
General provisions

1 Citation and commencement

2 Interpretation

PART 2
Remediable service

3 Pension contributions of medical practitioners and non-GP providers: deferred choice members (immediate correction)

4 Pension contributions of medical practitioners and non-GP providers: immediate choice members and deceased members

5 Pension contributions of medical practitioners and non-GP providers: deferred choice members

6 Remediable service statements

PART 3
Elections

7 Eligibility to make an election: designated persons

8 Election for retrospective provision to apply to opted-out service

9 Election for 2015 scheme benefits: immediate choice members and deceased members

10 Pension benefits and lump sum benefits: immediate choice members and deceased members

11 Continuation of pensions: immediate or deferred choice election: dependent and eligible children of a remedy member

12 Election for 2015 scheme benefits: deferred choice members and deceased members

13 Pension benefits and lump sum benefits: deferred choice election: pensioner and deceased members

PART 4
Voluntary contributions

14 Interpretation of Part 4

15 Elections to pay contributions for additional pension: where they must be treated as if paid under a corresponding option exercised under the 1995 Regulations or the 2008 Regulations

16 Treatment of contributions paid after 31st March 2022 under a corresponding option exercised in accordance with regulation 15(2)(b)

17 Treatment of a corresponding option exercised in accordance with regulation 15 on the making of a deferred choice election for 2015 scheme benefits under regulation 12

18 Treatment of buy-out contributions made under 2015 regulation 47: deferred choice members

19 Treatment of additional contributions made under the legacy scheme: deferred choice members

20 Treatment of additional contributions made under the legacy scheme: immediate choice members and deceased members

21 Treatment of additional contributions made under the 2015 scheme: immediate choice members and deceased members

22 Treatment of buy-out contributions made under 2015 regulation 47: immediate choice members and deceased members

23 Remedial arrangements to pay voluntary contributions to secure legacy scheme additional pension

24 Revocation of cancellation of arrangement or option to secure legacy scheme additional service or additional pension

PART 5
Divorce or the dissolution of a civil partnership

25 Interpretation of Part 5

26 Pension debits: valuation of pension benefits before 1st October 2023: deferred choice members (immediate alternative debit of appropriate amount)

27 Pension debits: valuation of pension benefits before 1st October 2023: immediate choice election for 2015 scheme benefits: immediate choice members and deceased members

28 Pension debits: valuation of pension benefits before 1st October 2023: no immediate choice election for 2015 scheme benefits: immediate choice members and deceased members

29 Pension debits: deferred choice election for 2015 scheme benefits: deferred choice members

30 Valuation of pension benefits on or after 1st October 2023

31 Pension debits: valuation of pension benefits on or after 1st October 2023: immediate choice election for 2015 scheme benefits: immediate choice members

32 Pension debits: valuation of pension benefits on or after 1st October 2023: no immediate choice election for 2015 scheme benefits: immediate choice members

33 Pension credits: valuation of pension benefits before 1st October 2023: pension credit adjustment: remediable service shareable rights under the legacy scheme only or the 2015 scheme only

34 Pension credits: valuation of pension benefits before 1st October 2023: pension credit adjustment: remediable service shareable rights under the legacy scheme and the 2015 scheme

35 Pension credits: pensioner and deceased relevant pension credit members

36 Pension credits: valuation of pension benefits on or after 1st October 2023: creation of a pension credit

PART 6
Transfers

37 Interpretation of Part 6

38 Treatment of transfer and transfer value payments made to the 1995 Section or the 2008 Section that are not made under public sector transfer arrangements

39 Transfer value payments made to the 2015 scheme that are not made under public sector transfer arrangements: treatment as transfer payments under the 1995 Section or transfer value payments under the 2008 Section: deferred choice members

40 Transfer value payments in accordance with regulation 39: variation of the member’s rights on the making of a deferred choice election

41 Transfer value payments made to the 2015 scheme that are not made under public sector transfer arrangements: treatment as if accepted under the legacy scheme: immediate choice members and deceased members

42 Treatment of transfer and transfer value payments and statements accepted from other and corresponding health service schemes

43 Transferred out remediable service statements

44 Remediable transfer value payments made before 1st October 2023

45 Remediable transfer value payments made on or after 1st October 2023 that are not made under public sector transfer arrangements

46 Transfers of remediable rights in the legacy scheme to the 2015 scheme before 1st October 2023

47 Transfers of remediable rights in the legacy scheme to the 2015 scheme on or after 1st October 2023

48 Remediable transfer value payments accepted from other public service schemes but not accepted under the public sector transfer arrangements

49 Remediable club transfer value payments made before 1st October 2023

50 Remediable club transfer value payments made on or after 1st October 2023

51 Remediable club transfer value payments accepted before 1st October 2023

52 Remediable club transfer value payments accepted on or after 1st October 2023

53 Application and interpretation of regulations 54 to 56

54 Transferred in remediable rights treated as rights under the legacy scheme

55 Varying the value of benefits secured by virtue of transferred in remediable rights

56 Benefits already paid in relation to transferred in remediable rights

PART 7
Taxation

57 Interpretation of Part 7

58 Scheme administrator to be liable where private sector scheme administrator’s liability is discharged

59 Scheme pays

PART 8
Compensation

60 Applications for compensation or indirect compensation

61 Indirect compensation

PART 9
Interest and the payment, reduction or waiver of liabilities

62 Application and interpretation of Part 9

63 Interest and process

64 Interest not payable under the 1995 Regulations or the 2008 Regulations

65 Netting off of liabilities

66 Payments of amounts owed to the scheme

67 Payments of amounts owed to a person

68 Power to reduce or waive amounts owed by a person to the legacy scheme

PART 10
Revocation of election to convert pensionable service under the legacy scheme

69 Option to revoke election to convert pensionable service under the legacy scheme

PART 11
Retirement pensions

70 Premature retirement in the interests of efficiency

71 Premature retirement on grounds of redundancy

72 Partial retirement: immediate choice members

73 Partial retirement: deferred choice members

74 Determining whether a member meets the ill-health criteria in each scheme

75 Ill-health pension: acceptance of retrospective applications

PART 12
Consequential amendments

76 Consequential amendments of the 1995 Regulations, the 2008 Regulations and the 2015 Transitional Regulations

SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE Amendments of the 1995 Regulations, the 2008 Regulations and the 2015 Transitional Regulations

Signature

Explanatory note

PART 11Retirement pensions

Premature retirement in the interests of efficiency
70.

(1)

This regulation applies in relation to a relevant member (“M”) who has remediable service that is pensionable service under the legacy scheme whether or not by virtue of section 2(1) of PSPJOA 2022 (“M’s remediable service”).

(2)

Where this regulation applies and the scheme manager accepts an immediate choice election made in accordance with regulation 9 or a deferred choice election made in accordance with regulation 12 and, as a result of that election, the additional contribution due from the employing authority increases, the scheme manager must waive that increase.

(3)

In paragraph (2), the additional contribution due from the employing authority is the amount the scheme manager determines is required to meet the cost of providing the pension in the 1995 Section or 2008 Section (whichever is relevant).

(4)

In this regulation, “relevant member” means a member whose employment has been or is terminated by M’s employing authority in accordance with—

(a)

regulation 14A of the 1995 Regulations64 (early retirement pension (termination of employment by employing authority));

(b)

or regulation 55 of the 2008 Regulations65 (early retirement on termination of employment by employing authority).

Premature retirement on grounds of redundancy
71.

(1)

This regulation applies in relation to a relevant remedy member (“M”) where M’s employing authority has made or makes a contribution to the scheme manager in accordance with—

(a)

regulation 11 of the 1995 Regulations66 (Contributions by employing authorities);

(b)

regulation 32 of the 2008 Regulations67 (Contributions by employing authorities: members becoming entitled to pensions under regulation 55); or

(c)

regulation 34 of the 2015 Regulations (Employing authority contributions: redundancy).

(2)

Paragraphs (3) and (4) apply if the cost of any benefits on termination in respect of M increase as a result of—

(a)

the scheme manager accepting—

(i)

an immediate choice election made by or in respect of M in accordance with regulation 9, or

(ii)

a deferred choice election made by or in respect of M in accordance with regulation 12; or

(b)

an election referred to in sub-paragraph (a) not being made by or in respect of M before the end of the immediate choice election period or the end of the deferred choice election period (whichever election period applies in respect of M).

(3)

M may pay all or part of the additional contribution as the scheme manager, after having regard to the advice of the scheme actuary, determines will be sufficient to meet the increased cost of the benefits insofar as that cost—

(a)

is not met by the contribution referred to in paragraph (1); and

(b)

exceeds the cost in respect of which M was entitled to make an additional contribution on becoming entitled to any benefits on termination.

(4)

If M elects not to pay any additional contribution in accordance with paragraph (3), the scheme manager must reduce the amount of pension by the amount which the revised cost exceeds the original payment.

(5)

Subject to paragraph (6), if the member is not entitled to make an additional contribution to meet the increase in costs referred to in paragraph (2) and that increase is to be met by M’s employing authority in accordance with the terms and conditions relevant to M’s employment, the scheme manager must waive the element of the further contribution due from the employing authority that relates to the increase.

(6)

Where M has received a relevant employing authority payment and that payment must be reduced as a consequence of the increase in costs referred to in paragraph (5), the amount that must be waived under that paragraph must also be reduced by the same amount.

(7)

Paragraph (8) applies if the cost of any benefits on termination in respect of M decrease as a result of—

(a)

the scheme manager accepting—

(i)

an immediate choice election made by or in respect of M in accordance with regulation 9, or

(ii)

a deferred choice election made by or in respect of M in accordance with regulation 12; or

(b)

an election referred to in sub-paragraph (a) not being made by or in respect of M before the end of the immediate choice election period or the end of the deferred choice election period (whichever election period applies in respect of M).

(8)

The scheme manager must send a notice in writing to M or the designated person of the amount by which the cost of any benefits on termination in respect of M have decreased.

(9)

In this regulation—

benefits on termination” means benefits under—

(a)

regulations 14A Early retirement pension (termination of employment by employing authority), 17 (lump sum on retirement) and 17A (general option to exchange part of pension for lump sum) of the 1995 Regulations68;

(b)

regulation 58 (general option to exchange part of pension for lump sum) of the 2008 Regulations69; or

(c)

regulations 76 (conversion of part of pension into lump sum) and 81 (premature retirement on grounds of redundancy) of the 2015 Regulations.

relevant remedy member” means a member who, in respect of the termination of M’s employment by M’s employing authority, is entitled to the payment of any benefits on termination;

relevant employing authority payment” means a payment made to M by M’s employing authority in respect of the cessation of M’s employment referred to in (whichever is relevant)—

(a)

regulation 14A (5)(a) of the 1995 Regulations;

(b)

regulation 55 (6)(a) of the 2008 Regulations; or

(c)

paragraph 7(2)(a) of Schedule 11 to the 2015 Regulations.

Partial retirement: immediate choice members
72.

(1)

This regulation applies to an immediate choice member (“M”) who—

(a)

is entitled to a pension under—

(i)

regulation 49 or 180 of the 2008 Regulations70 (Partial retirement (members aged at least 55)); or

(ii)

regulation 83 of the 2015 Regulations (Election for partial retirement (members over normal minimum pension age)), and

(b)

either—

(i)

has remediable service in the 2008 Section that is pensionable service under that Section by virtue of section 2(1) of PSPJOA 2022 and does not make an immediate choice election under regulation 9 in respect of that service, or

(ii)

has remediable service in the 2008 Section that is pensionable service under that Section other than by virtue of section 2(1) of PSPJOA 2022 and makes an immediate choice election under regulation 9 in respect of that service.

(2)

M may elect to adjust the specified percentage of M’s pension (excluding any additional pension) in respect of which M has claimed immediate payment by an amount determined by the scheme manager as being necessary to maintain the amount of M’s annual partial retirement pension in payment at—

(a)

the end of the immediate choice election period where paragraph (1)(b)(i) applies to M; and

(b)

the date the member makes an immediate choice election under regulation 9 where paragraph (1)(b)(ii) applies to M.

(3)

Where this regulation applies—

(a)

the scheme manager must send a notice in writing to M of M’s right under paragraph (2) on or before the relevant date referred to in regulation 6(2);

(b)

M must, if M decides to exercise that right, give the scheme manager notice in writing of that decision—

(i)

within three months beginning with the day after the day on which the scheme manager sends the notice referred to in sub-paragraph (a), or

(ii)

by such later time as the scheme manager considers reasonable in all the circumstances of the case.

(4)

In this regulation, “specified percentage” in relation to M’s pension has the meaning given in regulation 49(4)(a) of the 2008 Regulations, 180(3)(a) of the 2008 Regulations or regulation 83(3)(a) of the 2015 Regulations (whichever is relevant).

Partial retirement: deferred choice members
73.

(1)

This regulation applies to a deferred choice member (“M”) who, at the operative time, is entitled to a pension under—

(a)

regulation 49 or 180 of the 2008 Regulations (partial retirement (members aged at least 55)); or

(b)

regulation 83 of the 2015 Regulations (election for partial retirement (members over normal minimum pension age)).

(2)

M may make an election to substitute the specified percentage of M’s pension (excluding any additional pension) in respect of which M has claimed immediate payment with a different specified percentage (“a substitute percentage election”).

(3)

The scheme manager must send a notice in writing to M of M’s right to make a substitute percentage election under paragraph (2) on or before the relevant date referred to in regulation 6(2).

(4)

A substitute percentage election must—

(a)

be made by M by notice in writing;

(b)

be received by the scheme manager—

(i)

within a period of three months beginning with the day after the scheme manager sends the notice referred to in paragraph (3), or

(ii)

by such later time as the scheme manager considers reasonable in all the circumstances of the case;

(c)

contain such information as the scheme manager requires;

(d)

take effect from the day on which the member became entitled to the pension referred to in paragraph (1) (whichever is relevant); and

(e)

be disregarded for the purposes of determining whether the member may make a further election for partial retirement under the regulation referred to in paragraph (1) (whichever is relevant).

(5)

In this regulation—

operative time” means if a deferred choice election by virtue of regulation 12 is made in relation to M’s remediable service, the time when the election is made; otherwise, the end of the deferred choice election period in relation to M;

specified percentage” in relation to M’s pension has the meaning given in regulation 49(4)(a) of the 2008 Regulations, regulation 180(3)(a) of the 2008 Regulations or regulation 83(3)(a) of the 2015 Regulations (whichever is relevant).

Determining whether a member meets the ill-health criteria in each scheme
74.

(1)

This regulation applies to a remedy member (“M”)—

(a)

who ceased to be employed in HSC employment during the period of M’s remediable service; and

(b)

whose application for an ill-health pension in relation to that service (“M’s application”) has been determined by the scheme manager.

(2)

Where this regulation applies, the scheme manager must reconsider M’s application together with any supporting medical evidence (where relevant) to determine whether M would have met the ill-health retirement criteria in M’s alternative scheme or section when the application was initially determined.

(3)

Where M or a designated person on M’s behalf has the right to make an immediate choice election under regulation 9—

(a)

the scheme manager must send a notice in writing to M or the designated person of the outcome of the scheme manager’s determination under paragraph (2) before the immediate choice election period commences in respect of M; and

(b)

if M or the designated person on M’s behalf elects to take an ill-health pension as a result of the scheme manager’s determination under paragraph (2), any rights for M to make that election must be deemed to have been fulfilled.

(4)

Where M or a designated person on M’s behalf has the right to make a deferred choice election under regulation 12—

(a)

the scheme manager must send a notice in writing to M or the designated person of the outcome of the scheme manager’s determination under paragraph (2) as soon as reasonably practicable after 1st October 2023; and

(b)

if M or the designated person on M’s behalf elects to take an ill-health pension as a result of the scheme manager’s determination under paragraph (2), any rights for M to make that election must be deemed to have been fulfilled.

(5)

The provisions of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of PSPJOA 2022 and Part 3 of these Regulations about the timing and effect of an immediate choice election by virtue of section 6, and of a deferred choice election by virtue of section 10, of that Act apply subject to this regulation.

(6)

In this regulation—

ill-health pension” means a pension under—

(a)

regulation 13A of the 1995 Regulations71 (Ill health pension on early retirement);

(b)

regulation 49(3) of the 1995 Regulations72 (Preserved pension: entitlement to pension and retirement lump sum before age 60);

(c)

regulation 52 or regulation 182 of the 2008 Regulations73 (Early retirement on ill-health: active members and non-contributing members);

(d)

regulation 54 or regulation 184 of the 2008 Regulations74 (Early retirement on ill-health (deferred members);

(e)

regulation 89 of the 2015 Regulations (Entitlement to ill-health pension); or

(f)

regulation 93 of the 2015 Regulations (Early retirement on ill-health (deferred members));

M’s alternative scheme or section” means—

(a)

where M’s eligibility for an ill-health pension was assessed under the 1995 Section or the 2008 Section, the 2015 scheme;

(b)

where M’s eligibility for an ill-health pension was assessed under the 2015 scheme, the 1995 Section or the 2008 Section (whichever is relevant);

HSC employment” has the meaning given in Schedule 13 to the 2015 Regulations.

Ill-health pension: acceptance of retrospective applications
75.

(1)

This regulation applies where—

(a)

a remedy member (“M”) submits an application for an ill-health pension on or after 1st October 2023; and

(b)

the scheme manager is satisfied that it is more likely than not that, but for a relevant breach of a non-discrimination rule75, M would, during the period of M’s remediable service, have made the decision to apply for an ill-health pension.

(2)

The scheme manager may treat the application—

(a)

in accordance with regulation 27 of the 2015 Transitional Regulations76 (ill-health benefits: continuity of existing applications); and

(b)

as if the application had been submitted before 1st April 2022.

(3)

In this regulation—

ill-health pension” means a pension under—

(a)

regulation 13A of the 1995 Regulations (Ill health pension on early retirement);

(b)

regulation 52 or regulation 182 of the 2008 Regulations (early retirement on ill-health: active members and non-contributing members); or

(c)

regulation 89 of the 2015 Regulations (entitlement to ill-health pension).