The Police Pensions (Remediable Service) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023

Made: 17th August 2023

Coming into operation: 1st October 2023

To the extent required by section 27 of PSPJOA 2022, these Regulations are made in accordance with Treasury directions made under that section[^f00004].

PART 1 — Introductory provisions

Citation and commencement

1

These Regulations—

• (a) may be cited as the Police Pensions (Remediable Service) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023; and

• (b) come into operation on 1st October 2023.

Interpretation

2

• (1) In these Regulations—

• “the 1988 Regulations” means the Royal Ulster Constabulary Pensions Regulations 1988[^f00005], and “the 1988 scheme” means the pension scheme established by those Regulations;

• “the 1999 Order” means the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999[^f00006]

• “the 2009 Regulations” means the Police Pension (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2009[^f00007], and “the 2006 scheme” means the pension scheme established by those Regulations;

• “the 2015 Regulations” means the Police Pensions Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015[^f00008];

• “PSPJOA 2022” means the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022;

• “the PSP(NI) Directions 2023” means the Public Service Pensions (Exercise of Powers, Compensation and Information) Directions (Northern Ireland) 2023;

• “deferred choice decision” has the meaning given in regulation 12(1);

• “deferred choice decision-maker” means the person who may make a deferred choice decision under regulation 12(2);

• “deferred choice member” means a member with remediable police service who is not an immediate choice member;

• “eligible child” means, in relation to—the 1988 scheme, a person in respect of whom a child’s allowance is payable under that scheme;the 2006 scheme, a person in respect of whom a child survivor’s pension is payable under that scheme;the reformed scheme, an eligible child within the meaning of regulation 143 of the 2015 Regulations;

• “end of the section 10 election period”, in relation to a deferred choice member, means the time determined in accordance with—where the member is the deferred choice decision-maker, regulation 13(3)(b);where a person other than the member is the deferred choice decision-maker, regulation 14(2)(b);

• “immediate choice decision” has the meaning given in regulation 8(1);

• “immediate choice decision-maker” means the person who may make an immediate choice decision under regulation 8(2);

• “immediate choice member” means a member with remediable police service who, immediately before 1st October 2023, was deceased or entitled to the present payment of a pension, other than a deferred choice pension under the 1988 scheme, the 2006 scheme or the reformed scheme and “deferred choice pension” means a pension the rate of which—is not determined (by any extent) by reference to the member’s remediable service, andis not affected by the coming into force of section 2(1) of PSPJOA 2022;

• the “legacy scheme”, in relation to a member, means whichever of the 1988 scheme or the 2006 scheme is the relevant Chapter 1 legacy scheme[^f00009] for the member, and “legacy scheme benefits” means benefits calculated in accordance with that scheme;

• “member” means an active, deferred, deceased or pensioner, but not a pension credit, member of a police pension scheme[^f00010];

• “opted-out service election” has the meaning given in regulation 6(1);

• “police pension scheme” means the 1988 scheme, the 2006 scheme or the reformed scheme;

• “the reformed scheme” means the pension scheme established by the 2015 Regulations, and “reformed scheme benefits” means new scheme benefits[^f00011] under the reformed scheme;

• “remediable police service” means, in relation to a member, the member’s remediable service[^f00012] in an employment or office that is pensionable service[^f00013] under a police pension scheme;

• “remedy member” means a deferred choice member or an immediate choice member;

• “section 6 election” has the meaning given in regulation 8(1)(a);

• “section 10 election” has the meaning given in regulation 12(1)(a).

• (2) For the purposes of these Regulations, a reference in PSPJOA 2022 to section 2(1) of that Act coming into operation is to be understood as a reference to that section coming into operation in relation to members of the police pension scheme.

• (3) A term used in these Regulations which—

• (a) is defined in, or for the purposes of, a provision in Chapter 1 of Part 1 of PSPJOA 2022, and

• (b) is not defined differently in these Regulations,

has the meaning given in, or for the purposes of, that provision.

• (4) A term used in these Regulations which—

• (a) is defined in the 1988 Regulations, the 2009 Regulations or the 2015 Regulations (“the relevant Regulations”), and

• (b) is not defined differently—

• (i) in these Regulations, or

• (ii) in, or for the purposes of, a provision in Chapter 1 of Part 1 to PSPJOA 2022,

has, in relation to the scheme established by the relevant Regulations, the meaning given in those Regulations.

• (5) In these Regulations, a reference to a provision of the PSP(NI) Directions 2023 is a reference to that provision as amended from time to time.

• (6) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 applies to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly[^f00014].

Delegation

3

• (1) Subject to the exceptions in regulation 3(2), the scheme manager may delegate any functions of the scheme manager under these Regulations, including this power to delegate.

• (2) The scheme manager may not delegate any functions of the scheme manager under regulations 59, 62 and 63.

PART 2 — Remediable service statements

Requirement relating to remediable service statements

4

• (1) The scheme manager must provide a remediable service statement in respect of each remedy member (“M”) in accordance with—

• (a) section 29 of PSPJOA 2022,

• (b) any Treasury directions made under section 29(6) of that Act[^f00015], and

• (c) this regulation.

• (2) A remediable service statement must be provided in respect of M—

• (a) on or before the relevant date[^f00016],

• (b) where M is, in relation to their remediable police service, for the time being—

• (i) an active member, at least once in each year ending with the anniversary of the relevant date;

• (ii) a deferred member, within three months of receipt of a written request by the member[^f00017], and

• (c) where M is a deferred choice member, as soon as is reasonably practicable following receipt of notification—

• (i) under regulation 13(2) that M intends to claim benefits in relation to M’s remediable police service, or

• (ii) that M has died.

• (3) The remediable service statement must be provided—

• (a) to M, or

• (b) where

• (i) M is deceased, and

• (ii) the eligible decision-maker is a person other than the scheme manager,

to the person who is for the time being the eligible decision-maker in relation to M’s remediable police service under the Schedule.

• (4) The remediable service statement must include—

• (a) where the scheme manager has determined that any information to be provided in connection with M’s remediable police service must be communicated in a particular form and manner, information about that form and manner;

• (b) where M is an immediate choice member, information about the irrevocability of an immediate choice decision;

• (c) where M is a deferred choice member, information about the circumstances in which a deferred choice decision is revocable, and the circumstances in which it is irrevocable;

• (d) where M is a person described in regulation 55(1), information about—

• (i) how and when an election may be made under regulation 55(2),

• (ii) the consequence of making, or not making, an election under regulation 55(2), and

• (iii) the irrevocability of an election under regulation 55(2).

• (5) For further provision about—

• (a) what a remediable service statement must include, see—

• (i) section 29(5) of PSPJOA 2022;

• (ii) direction 20(1) of the PSP(NI) Directions 2023;

• (b) when a remediable service statement must be combined with a benefit information statement provided under section 14 of the 2014 Act, see direction 20(2) of the PSP(NI) Directions 2023.

PART 3 — Decisions about the treatment of remediable police service

CHAPTER 1 — Opted-out service elections

Application and interpretation of Chapter 1

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• (1) This Chapter applies to and in respect of a member (“M”) with opted-out service in an employment or office in relation to M’s legacy scheme[^f00018].

• (2) In this Chapter—

• “opted-out service decision-maker” means the person who may make an opted-out service election in accordance with regulation 6(2);

• “relevant opted-out service” means the service referred to in paragraph (1).

Election in relation to opted-out service

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• (1) An election (an “opted-out service election”) may be made in relation to M’s relevant opted-out service in accordance with this Chapter and section 5 of PSPJOA 2022.

• (2) An opted-out service election may be made—

• (a) by M, or

• (b) where M is deceased, by the eligible decision-maker determined in accordance with the Schedule.

• (3) Where a person (“P”) other than the scheme manager is the opted-out service decision-maker, an opted-out service election may only be made after the scheme manager determines an application which is—

• (a) made by or on behalf of M,

• (b) in a form and manner determined by the scheme manager,

• (c) received by the scheme manager during the period of 12 months beginning with the day on which a remediable service statement is provided in relation to M under regulation 4(2)(a), and

• (d) accompanied by such information—

• (i) which is information within P’s possession, or

• (ii) which P may reasonably be expected to obtain,

that the scheme manager may by written notice require P to provide in relation to the decision which caused the service in question to become opted-out service.

• (4) As soon as is reasonably practicable after receipt of an application, the scheme manager must—

• (a) determine whether an opted-out service election may be made in relation to M, and

• (b) notify the person who made the application whether such an opted-out service election may be made.

• (5) The scheme manager must refuse an application unless both of the following conditions are met—

• (a) the decision by virtue of which M’s service became opted-out service was communicated to the scheme manager on or after 12th March 2012, and

• (b) the decision by virtue of which M’s service became opted-out service was made pursuant to a relevant breach of a non-discrimination rule[^f00019].

• (6) But the scheme manager must not refuse an application where the decision by virtue of which M’s service became opted-out service was communicated to the scheme manager during the period—

• (a) beginning on the day six months before M would have (but for the opt-out decision) become a member of the reformed scheme, and

• (b) ending at the end of 28th February 2022.

• (7) Where the scheme manager is the opted-out service decision-maker, the scheme manager must, as soon as is reasonably practicable after determining that they are the opted-out service decision-maker, determine whether to make an opted-out service election in relation to M.

• (8) An opted-out service election to be made by—

• (a) a person other than the scheme manager is made when the person confirms that an opted-out service election is to be made following receipt of the notification mentioned in paragraph (4)(b);

• (b) the scheme manager is made at the time determined by the scheme manager.

• (9) See section 5(2) to (4) of PSPJOA 2022 about the effect, timing and irrevocability of an opted-out service election.

CHAPTER 2 — Immediate choice decision for reformed scheme or legacy scheme benefits

Application and interpretation of Chapter 2

7

• (1) This Chapter applies in respect of the remediable police service of an immediate choice member (“M”).

• (2) Where M has remediable police service in multiple employments or offices, this Chapter applies separately in relation to the remediable police service in each employment or office.

Immediate choice decision for reformed scheme or legacy scheme benefits: general

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• (1) A decision (“an immediate choice decision”) may be made in accordance with this Chapter—

• (a) to make an election (“a section 6 election”) by virtue of section 6 of PSPJOA 2022 in relation to M’s remediable police service, or

• (b) that no section 6 election is to be made in relation to that service.

• (2) An immediate choice decision may be made—

• (a) by M, or

• (b) where M is deceased, by the eligible decision-maker determined in accordance with the Schedule.

• (3) An immediate choice decision made by—

• (a) a person other than the scheme manager is made when it is received by the scheme manager in a form and manner determined by the scheme manager;

• (b) the scheme manager is made at a time determined by the scheme manager.

• (4) An immediate choice decision may only be made before the end of the section 6 election period[^f00020].

• (5) An immediate choice decision is irrevocable.

• (6) An immediate choice decision to make a section 6 election takes effect as a section 6 election (see sections 6(5) and (7), 7(1)(b) and 9 of PSPJOA 2022 about the effect of a section 6 election).

• (7) Paragraph (8) applies where—

• (a) immediately before 1st October 2023, M has remediable police service in the reformed scheme (“reformed scheme service”), and

• (b) an immediate choice decision is made that no section 6 election is to be made in relation to M’s remediable police service.

• (8) Where this paragraph applies, section 6(4) of PSPJOA 2022 does not apply in relation to M’s reformed scheme service (and, accordingly, section 2(1) of PSPJOA 2022 has effect in relation to M’s reformed scheme service for the purposes mentioned in section 2(3)(b) of that Act from the time the immediate choice decision mentioned in paragraph (7)(b) is made).

• (9) The following provisions of PSPJOA 2022 have effect in relation to an immediate choice decision that no section 6 election is to be made as they have effect in relation to a section 6 election—

• (a) section 6(7) (section 6 election has effect in respect of all remediable service in the employment or office);

• (b) section 7(1)(b) (provision about when a section 6 election is to be treated as having taken effect);

• (c) section 9 (provision about persons with remediable service in more than one Chapter 1 legacy scheme).

Immediate choice decision: additional requirements

9

• (1) This regulation applies where the immediate choice decision-maker (“D”) is a person other than the scheme manager.

• (2) An immediate choice decision may not be made unless a remediable service statement has been provided in accordance with regulation 4(2)(a).

• (3) An immediate choice decision is to be treated as having been made only if D provides any information specified in a written request from the scheme manager that is—

• (a) information in D’s possession, or

• (b) information which D can reasonably be expected to obtain.

Immediate choice decision: deemed section 6 election

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Where—

• (a) the end of the section 6 election period in relation to M has passed,

• (b) no immediate choice decision has been communicated to the scheme manager, and

• (c) it appears to the scheme manager, having consulted the scheme actuary, that the value of reformed scheme benefits payable if a section 6 election is made is greater than the value of legacy scheme benefits payable if a section 6 election is not made,

a section 6 election is treated as having been made immediately before the end of the section 6 election period.

CHAPTER 3 — Deferred choice decision for reformed scheme or legacy scheme benefits

Application and interpretation of Chapter 3

11

• (1) This Chapter applies in respect of the remediable police service of a deferred choice member (“M”).

• (2) Where M has remediable police service in multiple employments or offices, this Chapter applies separately in relation to the remediable police service in each employment or office.