# The Pensions Increase (Review) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 S.R. 2025/69 · made 27 March 2025 · revised to 7 April 2025 Under section 69 of the Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975 (c.15) (increase of official pensions), where the Department for Communities under section 132(1) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c.8), directs that the sums which are the additional pensions in long-term benefits are to be increased by a specified percentage, the Department of Finance shall provide by order for the increase in the rates of public service pensions. The Pensions (Increase) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 (c.35) defines certain terms and sets out when a pension “begins” (the day after the last day of service in respect of which the pension is payable) and how the increase applies to lump sums. Made under: Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992; Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975 (Article 69) PDFs: Printed copy https://openlegislation.uk/pensions-increase-review-order-northern-ireland-2025/pdf/nisr_20250069_en.pdf; NI Explanatory Memorandum https://openlegislation.uk/pensions-increase-review-order-northern-ireland-2025/pdf/nisrem_20250069_en_001.pdf ## Introductory text Pensions Made 27th March 2025 Coming into operation 7th April 2025 In accordance with section 132 of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 the Department for Communities has given a direction that the sums which are the additional pensions in long-term benefits are to be increased by a specified percentage. The Department of Finance now makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 69(1), (2), (5) and (5ZA) of the Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975 and now vested in it. ## 1 Citation and commencement This Order may be cited as the Pensions Increase (Review) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 and shall come into operation on 7th April 2025. ## 2 Interpretation (1) In this Order, “the 1975 Order” means the Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975. (2) In this Order, any reference to a pension is a reference to a pension which began before 7th April 2025. ## 3 Pension increases: annual rate and lump sums (1) This article applies to an official pension if— (a) a qualifying condition is satisfied; or (b) the pension is— (i) a derivative pension, (ii) a substituted pension or, (iii) a relevant injury pension. (2) In relation to any period on or after 7th April 2025, the pension authority may increase the annual rate of the pension— (a) for a pension which began before 8th April 2024, by 1.7 per cent; (b) for a pension which began on or after 8th April 2024, by 1.7 per cent multiplied by— A12where A is the number of complete months in the period between the beginning date of the pension and 7th April 2025. (3) In relation to a lump sum which is payable on or after 8th April 2024 but before 7th April 2025, the pension authority may increase the lump sum by 1.7 per cent multiplied by— A12where A is the number of complete months in the period between the beginning date of the lump sum (or, if later, 8th April 2024) and the date on which it becomes payable. ## 4 Reductions in respect of guaranteed minimum pensions (1) Where— (a) a person is entitled to an increase in a guaranteed minimum pension on 7th April 2025; and (b) entitlement to that guaranteed minimum pension arises from an employment from which (either directly, or indirectly by virtue of the payment of a transfer credit) entitlement to the official pension also arises, the amount by reference to which any increase is calculated for the purposes of article 3(2) must be reduced by an amount equal to the rate of the guaranteed minimum pension unless the Department of Finance otherwise direct in accordance with the provision of Article 69A of the 1975 Order. (2) Where on the death of a deceased spouse or civil partner a person becomes entitled to a guaranteed minimum pension in relation to a surviving spouse’s pension or a surviving civil partner’s pension, the amount by reference to which any increase is calculated for the purposes of article 3(2) must be reduced in accordance with Article 69 (5ZA) of the 1975 Order. ## Signature Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance on 27th March 2025. (L.S.) Patrick Neeson A senior officer of the Department of Finance ## Explanatory note (This note is not part of the Order) Under section 69 of the Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975 (c.15) (increase of official pensions), where the Department for Communities under section 132(1) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c.8), directs that the sums which are the additional pensions in long-term benefits are to be increased by a specified percentage, the Department of Finance shall provide by order for the increase in the rates of public service pensions. The Pensions (Increase) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 (c.35) defines certain terms and sets out when a pension “begins” (the day after the last day of service in respect of which the pension is payable) and how the increase applies to lump sums. The increase to be applied is the same as the percentage (or in some circumstances a fraction of the percentage) by which the Department for Communities has, by direction under the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, increased the sums which are the additional pensions in long-term benefits, namely the additional pension entitlements accruing to employees in respect of earnings for service after 5th April 1978. For pensions which began before 8th April 2024 the increase is 1.7 per cent. For pensions which began on or after 8th April 2024 the increases (following the calculation set out in article 3) are as follows:— Pensions Beginning Percentage Increase 8th April 2024 to 22nd April 2024 1.7% 23rd April 2024 to 22nd May 2024 1.56% 23rd May 2024 to 22nd June 2024 1.42% 23rd June 2024 to 22nd July 2024 1.28% 23rd July 2024 to 22nd August 2024 1.13% 23rd August 2024 to 22nd September 2024 0.99% 23rd September 2024 to 22nd October 2024 0.85% 23rd October 2024 to 22nd November 2024 0.71% 23rd November 2024 to 22nd December 2024 0.57% 23rd December 2024 to 22nd January 2025 0.43% 23rd January 2025 to 22nd February 2025 0.28% 23rd February 2025 to 22nd March 2025 0.14% Article 3 of the Order provides for increases on certain deferred lump sums which become payable on or after 8th April 2024 and before 7th April 2025. The Order also makes provision for the amount by reference to which any increase in the rate of an official pension is to be calculated to be reduced by an amount equal to the rate of any guaranteed minimum pension entitlement deriving from the employment which gives rise to the official pension. --- Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2025/69 (the official version) Page: https://openlegislation.uk/pensions-increase-review-order-northern-ireland-2025 Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.