{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/occupational-pension-schemes-contracting-out-regulations-northern-ireland-1996/regulation-55",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/occupational-pension-schemes-contracting-out-regulations-northern-ireland-1996/regulation-55.json",
  "legislation": "nisr/1996/493",
  "legislation_title": "The Occupational Pension Schemes (Contracting-out) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/occupational-pension-schemes-contracting-out-regulations-northern-ireland-1996",
  "path": "regulation/55",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "55",
  "heading": "Scheme rules about guaranteed minimum pensions",
  "text": "(1) For a scheme to be contracted out in relation to an earner’s employment it must include a rule to the effect that if the earner has a guaranteed minimum under section 10 of the Act (earner’s guaranteed minimum)—\n(a) the weekly rate of his pension under the scheme at pensionable age in respect of his service before the principal appointed day shall not be less than that guaranteed minimum;\n(b) the weekly rate of pension payable to any widow of the earner under the scheme in respect of the earner’s service before the principal appointed day shall be not less than half that guaranteed minimum, and\n(c) the weekly rate of pension payable to any widower of the earner under the scheme in respect of the earner’s service before the principal appointed day shall be not less than half of that part of the earner’s guaranteed minimum which is attributable to earnings factors for the tax year 1988-89 and subsequent tax years up to and including the tax year 1996-97,\nthat rule to be expressed to override all other provisions of the scheme, except any that are in accordance with the Act.\n(2) In paragraph (1) “weekly rate” means, in cases where the pension is paid otherwise than at weekly intervals, a rate which is equivalent to the earner’s guaranteed minimum having regard to the period in respect of which the pension is paid.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": "prospective",
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Reg. 55 in operation at 6.4.1997, see reg. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Section 10 is amended by paragraph 20 of Schedule 3 to the Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1995"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "coming into force",
      "affecting": "nisr/1996/493",
      "affecting_title": "The Occupational Pension Schemes (Contracting-out) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996"
    },
    {
      "type": "revoked",
      "affecting": "nisr/2016/107",
      "affecting_title": "The Occupational Pension Schemes (Schemes that were Contracted-out) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016"
    },
    {
      "type": "added",
      "affecting": "nisr/2002/109",
      "affecting_title": "The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Contracting-out) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "nisr/2005/433",
      "affecting_title": "The Civil Partnership (Contracted-out Occupational and Appropriate Personal Pension Schemes) (Surviving Civil Partners) Order (Northern Ireland) 2005"
    },
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "nisr/1997/160",
      "affecting_title": "The Personal and Occupational Pension Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/1996/493/regulation/55",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-07T03:33:22.183324+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}