Pensions (No. 2) Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 Explanatory Notes

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

  1. Introduction

  2. Background and Policy Objectives

  3. Consultation

  4. Options Considered

  5. Overview

  6. Commentary on Sections

    1. PART 1 – Pension Scheme Membership for Jobholders

      1. CHAPTER 1 – Employers’ Duties

        1. Section 1: Jobholders

        2. Section 2: Continuity of scheme membership

        3. Section 3: Automatic enrolment

        4. Section 4: Postponement of automatic enrolment

        5. Section 5: Automatic re-enrolment

        6. Section 6: Timing of automatic re-enrolment

        7. Section 7: Jobholder’s right to opt in

        8. Section 8: Jobholder’s right to opt out

        9. Section 9: Workers without qualifying earnings

        10. Section 10: Information to be given to workers

        11. Section 11:  Information to be given to the Pensions Regulator

        12. Section 12: Introduction of employers’ duties

        13. Section 13: Qualifying earnings

        14. Section 14: Review of qualifying earnings band

        15. Section 15: Pay reference period

        16. Section 16: Qualifying schemes

        17. Section 17: Automatic enrolment schemes

        18. Section 18: Occupational pension schemes

        19. Section 19: Personal pension schemes

        20. Section 20: Quality requirement: UK money purchase schemes

        21. Section 21: Quality requirement: UK defined benefits schemes

        22. Section 22: Test scheme standard

        23. Section 23: Test scheme

        24. Section 24: Quality requirement: UK hybrid schemes

        25. Section 25: Quality requirement: non-UK occupational pension schemes

        26. Section 26: Quality requirement: UK personal pension schemes

        27. Section 27: Quality requirement: other personal pension schemes

        28. Section 28: Sections 20, 24 and 26: certification that quality requirement is satisfied.

        29. Section 29: Transitional periods for money purchase and personal pension schemes

        30. Section 30: Transitional period for defined benefits and hybrid schemes

        31. Section 31: Effect of freezing order or assessment period

        32. Section 32: Power of trustees to modify by resolution

        33. Section 33: Deduction of contributions

      2. CHAPTER 2 – Compliance

        1. Section 34: Effect of failure to comply

        2. Section 35: Compliance notices

        3. Section 36: Third party compliance notices

        4. Section 37: Unpaid contributions notices

        5. Section 38: Calculation and payment of contributions

        6. Section 39: Meaning of “relevant contributions”

        7. Section 40: Fixed penalty notices

        8. Section 41: Escalating penalty notices

        9. Section 42: Penalty notices: recovery

        10. Section 43: Review of notices

        11. Section 44: References to the Pensions Regulator Tribunal

        12. Section 45: Offences of failing to comply

        13. Section 46: Offences by bodies corporate

        14. Section 47: Offences by partnerships and unincorporated associations

        15. Section 48: Offences of providing false or misleading information

        16. Section 49: Monitoring of employers’ payments to personal pension schemes

      3. CHAPTER 3 - Safeguards: Employment and pre-employment

        1. Section 50: Prohibited recruitment conduct

        2. Section 51: Compliance notices

        3. Section 52: Penalty notices

        4. Section 53: Review of notices and references to the Pensions Regulator Tribunal

        5. Section 54: Inducements

        6. Section 55: The right not to suffer detriment

        7. Section 56: Enforcement of the right

        8. Section 57: Right of employee not to be unfairly dismissed

        9. Section 58: Restrictions on agreements to limit operation of this Part

      4. CHAPTER 4 – Supplementary provision about compliance and information-sharing

        1. Section 59: Requirement to keep records

        2. Section 60: Powers to require information and to enter premises

        3. Section 61: Disclosure of tax information

        4. Section 62: Penalty for disclosure

        5. Section 63: Objectives of the Regulator

        6. Section 64: Functions of the Pensions Ombudsman

      5. CHAPTER 5 – Personal Accounts Delivery Authority

        1. Section 65: Functions and winding up

        2. Section 66: Principles

        3. Section 67: Directions and guidance

        4. Section 68: Disclosure of information by the Pensions Regulator

      6. CHAPTER 6 – Stakeholder Pension Schemes

        1. Section 69: Stakeholder pension schemes

      7. CHAPTER 7 – Application and interpretation

        1. Section 70: “Employer”, “worker” and related expressions

        2. Section 71: Agency workers

        3. Section 72: Directors

        4. Section 73: Crown employment

        5. Section 74: Armed Forces

        6. Section 75: Police

        7. Section 76: Persons working on vessels

        8. Section 77: Extension of definition of worker

        9. Section 78: Interpretation of Part

    2. PART 2 - Simplification

      1. Section 79: Abolition of safeguarded rights

      2. Section 80: Revaluation of accrued benefits

      3. Section 81: Consolidation of additional pension

      4. Section 82: Effect of entitlement to guaranteed minimum pension

      5. Section 83: Additional State Pension : minor and consequential amendments

      6. Section 84: State pension credit: extension of assessed income period for those aged 75 or over

      7. Section 85: Contracting-out: abolition of all protected rights

    3. PART 3 – Pension Compensation

      1. Chapter 1 - Pension compensation on divorce

        1. Section 86: Scope of mechanism

        2. Section 87: Interpretation

        3. Section 88: Activation of pension compensation sharing

        4. Section 89: Creation of pension compensation debits and credits

        5. Section 90: Cash equivalents

        6. Section 91: Reduction of compensation

        7. Section 92: Time for discharge of liability

        8. Section 93: “Implementation period”

        9. Section 94: Discharge of liability

        10. Section 95: Charges in respect of pension compensation sharing costs

        11. Section 96: Supply of information about pension compensation in relation to divorce

        12. Section 97: Supply of information about pension compensation sharing

        13. Section 98: Pension compensation sharing and attachment on divorce

      2. Chapter 2 – other provision about pension compensation

        1. Section 99: Charges in respect of pension sharing

        2. Section 100: Amendments of Schedule 6 to the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 2005

        3. Section 101: Consequential amendments

    4. PART 4 – Additional Pensions

      1. Section 102: Additional pension: upper accrual point to replace upper earnings limit from 2009-10.

    5. PART 5 - Miscellaneous

      1. Section 103: Amendments of provisions of the 2005 Order relating to contribution notices or financial support directions.

      2. Section 104: Interest on late payment of levies

      3. Section 105: Payments to employers

      4. Section 106: Appointment of trustees

      5. Section 107: Intervention by the Regulator where scheme’s technical provisions improperly determined

      6. Section 108: Delegation of powers by the Regulator

      7. Section 109: Exclusion of transfers out in certain cases

      8. Section 110: Official pensions: adjustment of increases in survivors’ pensions

      9. Section 111: Disclosure of information relating to state pension credit recipients

    6. PART 6 – General

      1. Section 112: Orders and regulations

      2. Section 113: Orders and regulations: supplementary

      3. Section 114: Further provision

      4. Section 115: Pre-consolidation amendments

      5. Section 116: Repeals

      6. Section 117: Interpretation

      7. Section 118: Commencement

      8. Section 119: Short title

    7. Schedule 1: Revaluation of accrued benefits

      1. Part 1

      2. Part 2

      3. Part 3

    8. Schedule 2: Additional Pension Consolidation

    9. Schedule 3: Additional State Pension : minor and consequential amendments

    10. Schedule 4: Pension compensation payable on discharge of pension compensation credit

      1. Part 2: Transferee attains pension compensation age before or on transfer day

      2. Part 3: Transferee attains pension compensation age after transfer day

      3. Part 4: Provisions applicable irrespective of age on transfer day

    11. Schedule 5: Pension compensation on divorce

    12. Schedule 6: Amendments of Schedule 6 to the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 2005

    13. Schedule 7: Additional Pension: Consequential Amendments

    14. Schedule 8: Contribution notices and financial support directions under 2005 Order

    15. Schedule 9: Interest on late payment of levies

    16. Schedule 10: Repeals

  7. Hansard Reports

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

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