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The New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 2007

S.R. 2007/215 · Made 22 March 2007 · Extends to Northern Ireland

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 1 September 2026.

FIRE SERVICES

PENSIONS

Made 22nd March 2007

Coming into operation 30th March 2007

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Article 10(l), (3), (4) and (5) of the Fire Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1984f1 and now vested in itf2 and with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnelf3, in accordance with Article 10(1) of that Order, makes the following Order:

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

S.I. 1984/1821 (N.I. 11); see Article 2(2) for the definition of “the Department”; Article 10(5) was amended by S.I. 1998/1549 (N.I. 11) Article 4. Article 10 was continued by S.I. 2006/1254 (N.I. 9) Article 60(1) and(2).

f2

See S.R. 1999 No. 481 Schedule 4, Part III

f3

Formerly the Department of Finance. See S.I. 1982/338 (N.I. 6) Article 3

Contents

  1. 1Citation commencement and effect
  2. 2Article 2
  3. 3New pension scheme for firefighters in Northern Ireland
  4. 42007 scheme ceasing to have effect, with savings
  5. 5Continuation of schemes for retained firefighters
  6. Signature
  7. Schedule ANNEX: THE NEW FIREFIGHTERS’ PENSION SCHEME (NORTHERN IRELAND)
  8. Part 1: CITATION AND INTERPRETATION
  9. 1Citation
  10. 2Interpretation
  11. 2ACivil Partnership and Marriage of Same Sex Couples
  12. 3Disablement
  13. Part 2: SCHEME MEMBERSHIP, CESSATION AND RETIREMENT
  14. 4Scheme membership
  15. 4ASpecial membership
  16. 4BCessation of firefighter membership and special firefighter membership
  17. 4CStandard membership of this Scheme after the transition date
  18. 4DSpecial membership of this Scheme after the transition date
  19. 4EMembership of this Scheme where ill-health award paid from 2015 Scheme
  20. 5Eligibility conditions
  21. 5ASpecial eligibility conditions
  22. 6Normal retirement age and normal benefit age
  23. 7Last day of membership
  24. 8Election not to make pension contributions
  25. 9Rejoining the Scheme
  26. 10Scheme Cessation
  27. Part 3: PERSONAL AWARDS
  28. 11Ordinary pension
  29. 11ASpecial member’s ordinary pension
  30. 11BContinued pension
  31. 12Award on ill-health retirement
  32. 12ARetrospective award on ill-health retirement
  33. 13Deferred pension
  34. 14Cancellation of deferred pension
  35. 15Pension on member-initiated early retirement
  36. 16Pension on Board-initiated early retirement
  37. 17Entitlement to two pensions
  38. 17AAdditional pension benefit: long service
  39. 17BAdditional pension benefit
  40. 17CAdditional pension benefit: supplementary provisions
  41. 18Refund of aggregate pension contributions
  42. 19Commutation: general
  43. 20Commutation: small pensions
  44. 21Allocation of pension
  45. 22Pension debit members
  46. Part 4: SURVIVORS’ PENSIONS
  47. Chapter 1: SPOUSES, CIVIL PARTNERS AND COHABITING PARTNERS
  48. 23Pensions for surviving spouses, civil partners and cohabiting partners
  49. 24Amount of survivor’s pension: general
  50. 25Amount of survivor’s pension: special cases
  51. 26Bereavement pension: survivors
  52. 27Commutation of survivor’s pension
  53. Chapter 2: CHILDREN’S PENSIONS
  54. 28Child’s pension
  55. 29Child’s pension: limitations and duration
  56. 30Amount of child’s pension
  57. 31Bereavement pension: children
  58. 32Pension for child where no survivor’s pension paid
  59. 33Child’s pension in respect of pension debit member
  60. 34Commutation of child’s pension
  61. Part 5: AWARDS ON DEATH
  62. 35Death grant
  63. 35ADeath grant for limited period
  64. 35BDeath grant for extended limited period
  65. 35CAdditional death grant
  66. 36Post-retirement death grant
  67. 36AMissed pension lump sum grant
  68. 36BSurvivor’s missed pension lump sum grant
  69. 36CMissed pension lump sum grant and survivor’s missed pension lump sum grant: restrictions
  70. Part 6: PENSION SHARING ON DIVORCE
  71. 37Pension credit member’s entitlement to pension
  72. 38Commutation of whole of pension credit benefits
  73. 39Commutation of part of pension credit benefits
  74. 40Application of general rules
  75. 41Post-retirement death grant: pension credit members
  76. 41ADeath grants where pension credit member dies before pension credit benefits payable
  77. Part 7: RESERVISTS
  78. 42Interpretation of Part
  79. 43Continuity of employment
  80. 44Awards on death or permanent disablement
  81. 45Reservists who do not resume employment with the Board
  82. Part 8: DETERMINATION OF QUESTIONS AND APPEALS
  83. 46Determinations and decisions of the Board
  84. 47Appeal against opinion on a medical issue
  85. 48Appeals on other issues
  86. Part 9: REVIEW, WITHDRAWAL AND FORFEITURE OF AWARDS
  87. 49Review of ill-health pension
  88. 50Consequences of review
  89. 51Reduction of award in case of default
  90. 52Withdrawal of pension during service as firefighter
  91. 53Withdrawal of early payment of deferred pension
  92. 54Withdrawal of pension on conviction of certain offences
  93. Part 10: QUALIFYING SERVICE AND PENSIONABLE SERVICE
  94. 55Qualifying service
  95. 56Reckoning of pensionable service
  96. 56AReckoning of special pensionable service
  97. 57Non-reckonable service
  98. 57APeriod after transition date
  99. 58Reckoning of unpaid period of absence
  100. 59Reckoning of maternity, paternity , parental bereavement and adoption leave, etc
  101. 60Calculation of pensionable service
  102. Part 11: PENSIONABLE PAY, PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS AND PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL SERVICE
  103. Chapter 1: PENSIONABLE PAY AND PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS
  104. 61Pensionable pay
  105. 62Final pensionable pay
  106. 63Pension contributions
  107. 64Optional pension contributions during maternity and adoption leave
  108. Chapter 2: PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL SERVICE
  109. 65Purchase of additional service
  110. 65APurchase of service during the limited period
  111. 65BPurchase of service during the extended limited period
  112. 65CPurchase of service during the extended limited period – supplemental provision
  113. 66Election to purchase additional service
  114. 66AElection to purchase service during the limited period or the extended limited period
  115. 66BElection to purchase service during the limited period or the extended limited period: supplemental provision
  116. 66CElection to purchase service: provisional enrolment
  117. 66DPurchase of service during the extended limited period – total pensionable service
  118. 66ECompensation deduction
  119. 67Duration of periodical contributions and premature cessation
  120. 68Discontinuance and resumption of periodical contributions
  121. 69Periodical contributions in respect of periods of unpaid service or absence
  122. 70Effect of purchasing additional service by lump sum payment
  123. Part 12: TRANSFERS INTO AND OUT OF THE SCHEME
  124. Chapter 1: INTERPRETATION OF PART 12 AND ENTITLEMENT TO TRANSFER VALUE PAYMENT
  125. 71Interpretation of Part 12
  126. 72Entitlement to transfer value payment
  127. Chapter 2: TRANSFERS OUT OF THE SCHEME
  128. 73Applications for statements of entitlement
  129. 74Applications for transfer value payments
  130. 75Ways in which transfer value payments may be applied
  131. 76Calculating amounts of transfer value payments
  132. 77Effect of transfers-out
  133. Chapter 3: TRANSFERS INTO THE SCHEME
  134. 78Applications for acceptance of transfer value payment from another scheme
  135. 79Procedure for applications under article 78
  136. 80Acceptance of transfer value payments
  137. 81Calculation of transferred-in pensionable service or special pensionable service
  138. Chapter 3A: TRANSFERS TO SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP
  139. 81ATransfer of accrued rights under the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme to special membership of this Scheme
  140. Chapter 4: MIS-SOLD PENSIONS AND RESTITUTION PAYMENTS
  141. 82Interpretation of Chapter 4
  142. 83Mis-sold pensions
  143. 84Calculation of amount of restitution payment
  144. Chapter 5: CONVERTING MEMBERSHIP BETWEEN STANDARD AND SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP
  145. 84AConverting membership from special membership to standard membership
  146. 84BConverting membership from standard membership to special membership
  147. 84CConverting membership from standard membership to special membership – special pensioner members
  148. 84CAConverting membership from standard membership to special membership - special pensioner members who were previously special deferred members
  149. 84CBConverting membership from standard membership to special membership - additional provisions
  150. 84DConverting membership – election made during limited period
  151. 84ERevocation of conversion election made during limited period
  152. Part 13: FIREFIGHTERS’ PENSION FUND
  153. 85Firefighters’ Pension Fund: payments, receipts and transfers
  154. 86Payments and transfers into Firefighters’ Pension Fund
  155. 87Transfers from Firefighters’ Pension Fund
  156. 88Excess amounts: information
  157. 89Excess amounts: estimated deficits
  158. 90Excess amounts – estimated surpluses
  159. 91Excess amounts – actual deficits
  160. 92Excess amounts – actual surpluses
  161. 93Duty to provide information
  162. 94Duty to have regard to guidance
  163. Part 14: PAYMENT OF AWARDS
  164. 95Deduction of tax and lifetime allowance charge
  165. 96Payment of awards
  166. 97Pensions under more than one contract
  167. 98Payments for minors and persons incapable of managing their affairs
  168. 99Payment of awards; further supplementary provision
  169. Part 15: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
  170. 100Guaranteed minimum pensions, etc.
  171. 101Survivors’ guaranteed minimum pensions
  172. 102Information for the Board
  173. 103Annual benefit statements
  174. 103AActuarial valuations
  175. 104Death of retained or volunteer firefighter before New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 in operation
  176. 105Death on or before 31st March 2007 of retained or volunteer firefighter employed before 6th April 2006
  177. 106Retained firefighter opt-out member
  178. Schedule ZACommuted portion: special members
  179. Schedule: Schedule A1
  180. Part Pension Contributions
  181. 1Paragraph 1
  182. 2Paragraph 2
  183. 3Paragraph 3
  184. 4Paragraph 4
  185. 5Paragraph 5
  186. Schedule AB1: Pension contributions for special members
  187. 1Paragraph 1
  188. 2Paragraph 2
  189. 3Paragraph 3
  190. 4Paragraph 4
  191. 5Paragraph 5
  192. 6Paragraph 6
  193. Schedule 1: ILL–HEALTH PENSIONS
  194. 1Paragraph 1
  195. 2Paragraph 2
  196. 3Paragraph 3
  197. 3AParagraph 3A
  198. 3BParagraph 3B
  199. 3CParagraph 3C
  200. 3DParagraph 3D
  201. 4Paragraph 4 Repealed
  202. 5Paragraph 5 Repealed
  203. 6Paragraph 6 Repealed
  204. 7Paragraph 7 Repealed
  205. Schedule 2: APPEAL TO INDEPENDENT MEDICAL REFEREE
  206. 4Paragraph 4
  207. 5Paragraph 5
  208. 6Paragraph 6 Repealed
  209. 7Paragraph 7
  210. 8Paragraph 8
  211. 9Paragraph 9
  212. 9AParagraph 9A Repealed
  213. 10Paragraph 10
  214. 11Paragraph 11
  215. 12Paragraph 12
  216. Schedule 2AConverting membership from special membership to standard membership
  217. Schedule 3: TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
  218. 13Regular firefighters who became members of the 2007 scheme on or after 6th April 2006
  219. 14Options for pre-6th April 2006 members of the 2007 Scheme
  220. 15Calculation of transferred-in pensionable service
  221. Explanatory note