# The New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 2007, Paragraph 66B: Election to purchase service during the limited period or the extended limited period: supplemental provision


(1) Subject to paragraphs (12), (13) and (14), an election under article 66A must be made by giving written notice to the Board, which must be given—
(a) where the Board gave notice under article 65A(13), during the period of four months beginning with the date on which such notice was given; or
(b) where the Board gave notice under article 65B(8), during the period of six months beginning with the date on which such notice was given.
(2) In preparing the tables required by paragraphs (5) and (9) of article 66A the Scheme Actuary must have regard to the rate of contribution referable to the period in respect of which the contribution relates and must use such other factors as he considers appropriate.
(3) The period of a person’s service referred to in paragraphs (1), (3) or (7) of article 66A shall be that part of the service set out in the Board’s notice to him under article 65A(13) or article 65B(13) as the case may be in respect of which he elects to pay mandatory special period pension contributions from a date selected by him before 6th April 2006, or which applies under article 66A(11), and ending on the earlier of the date on which he joined this Scheme as a special member or a standard member and the date, if applicable, on which he was dismissed or retired from employment as a regular or retained firefighter.
(4) Where a person is required under paragraph (2), or has chosen under paragraph (4) or (8) of article 66A, to pay a lump sum contribution and this sum has not been paid within six months of his election under paragraph (1), (4) or (8), or such longer period as the Board may notify in writing to the person, the election under paragraph (1), (4) or (8) as the case may be shall be treated as not having been made.
(4A) Where a person is required under paragraph (2), or has chosen under paragraph (4), (8) or (9), of article 66A, to pay a lump sum contribution, this sum must be paid in full (subject to any deduction from the lump sum pursuant to paragraph (2), (6) or (10) of article 66A) before the pension to which the lump sum relates comes into payment.
(5) Where a person has chosen under paragraph (4) or (8) of article 66A to pay periodic contributions—
(a) where the first contribution has not been paid within three months of his election under paragraph (4) or (8), or such longer period as the Board may notify in writing to the person, the election shall be treated as not having been made;
(b) where three or more consecutive periodic contributions have not been paid and the amount remains outstanding, the Board shall require, by written notice, the special member to pay the outstanding periodic contributions within a period of 28 days beginning with the date the notice is served on the special member, and to resume the periodical contributions;
(c) if payment of the outstanding amount is not made within that period, or if a subsequent periodic contribution is not made within 28 days of it being due, the special member shall be treated as having ceased to pay mandatory special period contributions from the date that the last contribution was received and may not resume payment of such contributions.
(6) Subject to paragraphs (8) and (11), where paragraph (5) or (9) of article 66A applies, and the special deferred member or special firefighter member, as the case may be, does not pay the lump sum within the period specified in that paragraph, the period of service purchased shall be treated as if it were the period ascertained in accordance with the formula—
A×(B/C)where—
A is the number of 45ths of special pensionable service which he elected to purchase,
B is the period in respect of which mandatory special period pension contributions have been made in accordance with his election, and
C is the period in respect of which mandatory special period pension contributions would have been made in accordance with his election.
(7) In the case of a firefighter to whom paragraph (11) of article 66A applies—
(a) his pension contribution as a standard member during the limited period or the extended limited period shall be calculated as though these were mandatory special period pension contributions under paragraph (8) of article 66A;
(b) where paragraph (9) of article 66A applies, and the special firefighter member does not pay the lump sum within the period specified in that sub-paragraph, the period of service purchased as a standard member shall be treated as if it were the period ascertained in accordance with the formula—
A×(B/C)where—
A is the number of 60ths of pensionable service as a standard member which he elected to purchase,
B is the period in respect of which pension contributions as a standard member have been paid during the limited period or the extended limited period, and
C is the period in respect of which mandatory special period pension contributions would have been made in accordance with his election.
(8) Where periodic contributions cease as mentioned in paragraph (5) or (9) of article 66A when a pension becomes payable, the pension shall not be paid until the earlier of the date on which the lump sum mentioned in that paragraph has been paid or the special member has given notice that he will not pay the lump sum or the period mentioned in that paragraph has expired.
(9) Where service is purchased by the payment of periodic contributions under paragraph (4) or (8) of article 66A, the service shall accrue at the end of each year in accordance with the contributions paid.
(10) An election under article 66A—
(a) takes effect on the day on which the notice of the election is received by the Board; and
(b) is irrevocable once the lump sum has been paid or, as the case may be, the first periodical contribution has been paid.
(11) Where the special member dies before the mandatory special period pension contributions due in accordance with article 66A have been paid, those contributions shall be treated as paid and service during the mandatory special period shall be special pensionable service.
(12) Where it is not reasonably practicable to comply with the requirement in paragraph (1) (a) within the period specified, the election shall be given by written notice as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of that period but in any event may not take effect after 31st March 2015 except where an election is made by a provisionally enrolled member, in which case, the election may not take effect after 30th September 2015.
(13) Subject to paragraph (12), where it is not reasonably practicable to comply with the requirement in paragraph (1)(b) within the period specified, the election must be given by written notice as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of that period but in any event may not take effect after 1st September 2027.
(14) Where a person did not receive a notification from the Board under article 65B(8) of this Part, despite the Board using reasonable endeavours to notify eligible persons as required by that paragraph, an election under paragraph (1) may take effect after 1st September 2027.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2007/215/schedule/ANNEX/paragraph/66B (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/new-firefighters-pension-scheme-order-northern-ireland-2007/schedule-ANNEX/paragraph-66B
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.

