# The Pensions Act 2008 (Commencement No. 13) Order 2012

S.I. 2012/1682 · made 28 June 2012 · revised to 28 June 2012

This Order brings into force certain provisions of the Pensions Act 2008 (c. 30) (“the Act”) as amended by the Pensions Act 2011 (c. 19).

Made under: Pensions Act 2008 (Section 144, Section 149)

PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/pensions-act-2008-commencement-no-13-order-2012/pdf/uksi_20121682_en.pdf

## Introductory text

Pensions
Made 28th June 2012
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 144(4) and 149(1) of the Pensions Act 2008.

## 1 Citation

(1) This Order may be cited as the Pensions Act 2008 (Commencement No. 13) Order 2012.
(2) In this Order, “the Act” means the Pensions Act 2008.

## 2 Commencement of provisions

(1) The provisions of the Act specified in paragraph (2) come into force on 30th June 2012.
(2) The provisions are—
(a) those listed in Schedule 1 to this Order, in so far as they are not already in force, and
(b) those listed in Schedule 2 to this Order.

## Signature

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
Steve Webb
Minister of State
Department for Work and Pensions
28th June 2012

## Schedule 1 Provisions of the Act (in so far as they are not already in force) coming into force on 30th June 2012

Provisions of the Act
Subject matter
Section 2
Continuity of scheme membership
Section 3
Automatic enrolment
Section 5
Automatic re-enrolment
Section 6
Timing of automatic re-enrolment
Section 7
Jobholder’s right to opt in
Section 8
Jobholder’s right to opt out
Section 9
Workers without qualifying earnings
Section 10
Information to be given to workers
Section 13
Qualifying earnings
Section 15
Pay reference period
Section 16
Qualifying schemes
Section 17
Automatic enrolment schemes
Section 18
Occupational pension schemes
Section 20
Quality requirement: UK money purchase schemes
Section 21
Quality requirement: UK defined benefits schemes
Section 22
Test scheme standard
Section 24
Quality requirement: UK hybrid schemes
Section 26
Quality requirement: UK personal pension schemes
Section 29
Transitional periods for money purchase and personal pension schemes
Section 30
Transitional period for defined benefits and hybrid schemes
Section 32
Power of trustees or managers to modify by resolution
Section 33
Deduction of contributions
Section 37
Unpaid contributions notices
Section 38
Calculation and payment of contributions
Section 40 (except paragraph (d) of subsection (1) which is commenced only for the purposes of the exercise of the Regulator’s functions under or by virtue of Part 1 of the Act)
Fixed penalty notices
Section 41 (except paragraph (d) of subsection (1) which is commenced only for the purposes of the exercise of the Regulator’s functions under or by virtue of Part 1 of the Act)
Escalating penalty notices
Section 43
Review of notices
Section 49
Monitoring of employers’ payments to personal pension schemes
Section 52
Penalty notices
Section 54
Inducements
Section 58
Restrictions on agreements to limit operation of this Part
Section 96
Persons working on vessels
Section 97
Persons in offshore employment

## Schedule 2 Provisions of the Act coming into force on 30th June 2012

Provisions of the Act
Subject matter
Section 1
Jobholders
Section 19
Personal pension schemes
Section 31
Effect of freezing order or assessment period
Section 34
Effect of failure to comply
Section 35
Compliance notices
Section 36
Third party compliance notices
Section 39
Meaning of “relevant contributions”
Section 42
Penalty notices: recovery
Section 44
References to First-tier Tribunal or Upper Tier Tribunal
Section 45
Offences of failing to comply
Section 46
Offences by bodies corporate
Section 47
Offences by partnerships and unincorporated associations
Section 48
Offences of providing false or misleading information
Section 50
Prohibited recruitment conduct
Section 51
Compliance notices
Section 53
Review of notices and references to First-tier Tribunal or Upper Tribunal
Section 55
The right not to suffer detriment
Section 56
Enforcement of the right
Section 57 (except subsection (3))
Right of employee not to be unfairly dismissed
Section 59
Employment Appeal Tribunal
Section 61
Powers to require information and to enter premises
Section 66
Functions of the Pensions Ombudsman
Section 88
“Employer”, “worker” and related expressions
Section 89
Agency workers
Section 90
Directors
Section 91
Crown employment
Section 92
Armed forces
Section 93
House of Lords staff
Section 94
House of Commons staff
Section 95
Police
Section 127
Review of the initial operation of sections 38A and 38B of the Pensions Act 2004

## Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order brings into force certain provisions of the Pensions Act 2008 (c. 30) (“the Act”) as amended by the Pensions Act 2011 (c. 19).
Article 2 of, and the Schedules to, the Order bring into force the provisions of the Act necessary to give effect to the introduction of the automatic enrolment duties set out in the Act. The provisions come into force, in so far as they are not already in force, on 30th June 2012.
The requirement in Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Act (sections 1 – 33) to enrol certain workers (referred to in the legislation as “jobholders”) into a pension scheme which meets the minimum standards specified in the Act will apply to employers in stages, starting with the largest employers first, from 1st October 2012 onwards.
However, from 1st July 2012, the largest employers will be able to enrol their workers into a pension scheme early, in line with the duties set out in the Act, when the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Automatic Enrolment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/772) come into force.
Chapter 2 of Part 1 of the Act (sections 34 – 49) sets out the regime for ensuring compliance with the automatic enrolment duties.
Chapter 3 of Part 1 of the Act (sections 50 – 59) sets out safeguards during the recruitment process and during employment to ensure that an employee’s rights to become and remain a member of a qualifying pension scheme are protected.
Section 61 sets out requirements in relation to record keeping and compliance.
Section 66 gives the Pensions Ombudsman the additional function of investigating complaints relating to a jobholder opting out of pension scheme membership.
Chapter 8 of Part 1 of the Act (sections 88 – 98) sets out how the automatic enrolment duties apply to particular classes of worker such as the police and persons working on vessels, and defines the terms “employer”, “worker” and related expressions for the purposes of the Act.
Section 127 requires the Secretary of State to review the operation of the material detriment test in sections 38A and 38B of the Pensions Act 2004 (c. 35) and to publish the results of that review within a specified time.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1682 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/pensions-act-2008-commencement-no-13-order-2012
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.

