Commentary on Sections Schedule 15: Financial relief in the High Court or a county court etc.: Northern Ireland Part 6 – Pension Protection Fund compensation etc.
725.This Part ensures that the provisions for financial relief in Northern Ireland reflect the creation of the Pension Protection Fund. It allows the court to include PPF compensation as financial resources of the parties to the civil partnership to which it can have regard to when it is exercising its powers to make financial provision on dissolution or nullity of a civil partnership or separation. This Part also ensures that an attachment order, commutation order or pension sharing order made as a result of dissolution or nullity of a civil partnership, and in certain cases as a result of separation continues to have effect if the pension scheme enters the PPF. Where the court exercises its powers of variation under paragraph 46 of Schedule 15, the PPF shall be bound by any variations made by the court to existing pension attachment orders and pension sharing orders. The Lord Chancellor may, by regulations make necessary and expedient consequential modifications to Schedule 15 as a result of the PPF assuming responsibility for pension sharing orders and attachment orders.