The Occupational Pension Schemes (Power to Amend Schemes to Reflect Abolition of Contracting-out) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015
Section 24(2) of the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 (“the Act”) gives employers sponsoring contracted-out salary related occupational pension schemes a power to amend the scheme rules to reflect the abolition of contracting-out for those schemes (“the power”). Amendments may be made to increase employee contributions or alter the future accrual of benefits, or do both, for or in respect of some or all of the scheme members. But the extent to which the scheme rules may be amended using this power is limited by reference to the increase in the sponsoring employer’s national insurance contributions due to the abolition of contracting-out.