# The New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026, Paragraph 5

Extent: N.I.

(1) Part 12 (transfers into and out of the scheme) is amended as follows.
(2) In article 84B (converting membership from standard membership to special membership), for paragraph (1)(a), substitute—
“(a) to a person who is a standard member of the Scheme and who is—
(i) a special firefighter member;
(ii) entitled to join this Scheme as a special firefighter member or a connected special member;
(iii) subject to articles 84CA and 84CB, a special pensioner member who was previously a special deferred member; or
(iv) subject to article 84CB, a special deferred member.”
(3) In article 84C (converting membership from standard membership to special membership - special pensioner members), for paragraph (1)(a), substitute—
“(a) to a person who is—
(i) a special pensioner member,
(ii) entitled to be a special pensioner member and who is in receipt of an ordinary pension, a higher tier ill-health pension, or a lower tier ill-health pension, or
(iii) subject to article 84CB, is entitled to a deferred pension under article 13 (deferred pension) or article 15 (Pension on member-initiated early retirement) of Part 3;”.
(4) After article 84C insert—
“Converting membership from standard membership to special membership - special pensioner members who were previously special deferred members
84CA. (1) This article applies to a person to whom article 84B applies and who is a special pensioner member who was previously a special deferred member.
(2) Where the member makes an election under article 84B(5), the amount payable under that article must be—
(a) calculated in accordance with guidance provided by the Scheme Actuary, and
(b) paid by lump sum payment.
(3) When the payment required by article 84B(5) has been paid, and subject to article 84B(7)—
(a) the member’s pensionable service as a standard member must be treated as special pensionable service;
(b) the member must continue to receive his ordinary or ill-health pension in respect of his pensionable service as a standard member, and
(c) the member must, in addition, receive his special member’s ordinary pension or ill-health pension in respect of his special pensionable service as a special member.
(4) The special member’s ordinary pension or ill-health pension in respect of his special pensionable service payable under this article must be reduced in accordance with tables produced by the Scheme Actuary, so that the total amount of pension that the member receives in accordance with sub-paragraphs (3)(b) and (c) does not exceed the amount he would have received as a special member if—
(a) he had not been an ordinary member of the Scheme, and
(b) all of his service from the start of the mandatory special period to the date that the member’s special member’s ordinary pension or ill-health pension, as the case may be, becomes payable and which is eligible to be treated as special pensionable service, was treated as special pensionable service.
Converting membership from standard membership to special membership - additional provisions
84CB. (1) This article applies to a person to whom article 84B or 84C applies and who is—
(a) a special deferred member;
(b) a special pensioner member who was previously a special deferred member; or
(c) in receipt of a deferred pension under article 15 (pension on member-initiated early retirement) of Part 3.
(2) The Board must use reasonable endeavours to notify the person of his eligibility to apply to convert his membership in accordance with article 84B or 84C, as applicable as soon as possible and, in any event, before 1st September 2027.
(3) A person to whom this article applies—
(a) does not need to make an application under article 84B(2) or 84C(2) at the same time as he makes an application under article 65A(5) (purchase of service during the limited period) or 65B(9) (purchase of service during the extended limited period) of Part 11;
(b) does not need to make an election under article 84B(5) or 84C(5) at the same time as he makes his election under article 66A (election to purchase service during the limited period or the extended limited period) of Part 11;
(c) must make an election under article 84B(5) or 84C(5) within three months after receiving the statements referred to in article 84B(4) or 84C(4); and
(d) must, in any event, make an election before 1st September 2027.
(4) The Board must provide the statements referred to in article 84B(4) or 84C(4) within three months of receiving an application under article 84B(2) or 84C(2), as applicable.
(5) Where a person did not receive a notification from the Board under paragraph (2), despite the Board using reasonable endeavours to notify him as required by that paragraph, an election under article 84B(5) or 84C(5), as applicable, may be made on or after 1st September 2027.”.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2026/150/schedule/paragraph/5 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/new-firefighters-pension-scheme-amendment-order-northern-ireland-2026/schedule/paragraph-5
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.