{ "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/pension-schemes-act-2021/section-95", "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/pension-schemes-act-2021/section-95.json", "legislation": "ukpga/2021/1", "legislation_title": "Pension Schemes Act 2021", "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/pension-schemes-act-2021", "path": "section/95", "kind": "section", "number": "95", "heading": "Pause orders", "text": "(1) This section applies during a triggering event period for a collective money purchase scheme.\n(2) The Pensions Regulator may make a pause order in relation to the scheme if either of the following two conditions is met.\n(3) Condition 1 is that the Pensions Regulator is satisfied that making a pause order will help the trustees to carry out the implementation strategy.\n(4) Condition 2 is that the Pensions Regulator is satisfied that—\n(a) there is, or is likely to be if a pause order is not made, an immediate risk to the interests of members of the scheme or the assets of the scheme, and\n(b) it is necessary to make a pause order to protect the interests of the generality of the members of the scheme.\n(5) A pause order is an order that during the period for which it has effect one or more of the following directions has effect—\n(a) a direction that no new members (or no new members of a specified description) are to be admitted to the scheme;\n(b) a direction that no further payments (or no further payments of a specified description) are to be made towards the scheme—\n(i) by or on behalf of employers or , where the scheme is a single or connected employer scheme, relevant former employers (or employers or relevant former employers of a specified description), or\n(ii) by or in respect of members (or members of a specified description);\n(c) a direction that an amount (or specified amount) which—\n(i) corresponds to a payment that would be due to be made towards the scheme in respect of a member but for a direction under paragraph (b), and\n(ii) has been deducted from a payment of earnings in respect of an employment,\nis to be repaid to the member in question by the employer;\n(d) a direction that no benefits (or no benefits of a specified description) are to be paid to or in respect of members (or members of a specified description) under the scheme rules;\n(e) a direction that—\n(i) no transfers (or no transfers of a specified description) of or in respect of a member's rights under the scheme rules are to be made from the scheme,\n(ii) no transfer payments (or no transfer payments of a specified description) in respect of a member's rights under the scheme rules are to be made from the scheme, or\n(iii) no other steps (or no other steps of a specified description) are to be taken to discharge a liability of the scheme to or in respect of a member of the scheme in respect of pensions or other benefits.\n(6) In subsection (5)(b)—\n(a) a reference to payments does not include payments due to be made before the order takes effect, and\n(b) a reference to payments towards a scheme includes payments in respect of pension credits where the person entitled to the credit is a member of the scheme.\n(7) A direction under subsection (5)(e) may provide that—\n(a) no transfers of or in respect of a member's rights under the scheme rules, or no such transfers of a specified description, may be made from the scheme, or\n(b) no transfer payments in respect of such rights, or no such transfer payments of a specified description, may be made from the scheme,\nunless the amounts paid out from the scheme in respect of the transfers or transfer payments are determined in a specified manner and the transfers or transfer payments satisfy such other conditions as may be specified.\n(8) A pause order may also require the trustees of the scheme to obtain an actuarial valuation within a specified period.\n(9) A pause order containing such a requirement must specify—\n(a) the date by reference to which the matters to be set out in the valuation must be determined;\n(b) the information and statements that the valuation must contain;\n(c) any other requirements that the valuation must satisfy.\n(10) Schedule 5 makes further provision about pause orders.\n(11) In this section—\n“earnings” has the meaning given in section 176(1) of the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993;\n“pension credit” means a credit under Article 26(1)(b) of the Welfare Reform and Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11)) or section 29(1)(b) of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999;\n“specified” means specified in the pause order.", "extent": null, "status": null, "version": "current", "annotations": [ { "type": "F", "label": "F1", "text": "Words in s. 95(5)(b)(i) inserted (31.7.2026) by The Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Extension to Unconnected Multiple Employer Schemes and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 (S.R. 2026/151), regs. 1(1), 17(4)" }, { "type": "C", "label": "C1", "text": "S. 95 modified (31.7.2026) by The Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Extension to Unconnected Multiple Employer Schemes and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 (S.R. 2026/151), regs. 1(1), 56" }, { "type": "I", "label": "I1", "text": "S. 95 in force at Royal Assent for specified purposes, see s. 131(3)(a)" }, { "type": "I", "label": "I2", "text": "S. 95 in force at 1.8.2022 in so far as not already in force by S.R. 2022/197, art. 3(a)" } ], "outstanding_effects": [], "provenance": { "source": "legislation.gov.uk", "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/1/section/95", "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T08:59:16.686205+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." }