The Health and Social Care (Pension Scheme) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

Qualifying service: disregard of breaks in service

11.—(1) This regulation applies for the purpose of calculating the qualifying service of a member whose pensionable service ceases for an interval (other than in circumstances where regulation 10(2) applies).

(2) Subject to paragraph (6), if the interval—

(a)does not exceed one month, or

(b)is due to a trade dispute,

the member’s qualifying service before and after the interval is treated as continuous for the purpose of calculating the member’s qualifying service after the interval (but the period of the interval is ignored).

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2) it does not matter if the member’s pensionable service before the interval is treated separately from that after the interval for the purpose of calculating the member’s benefits.

(4) Subject to paragraph (6), if—

(a)a person who is an active member ceases to be employed in the employment that qualifies the person to belong to the Scheme and becomes a deferred member, but not a pensioner member, in respect of the service in that employment, and

(b)after a period not exceeding 12 months the person becomes employed again in such an employment and becomes an active member again in that employment,

qualifying service in the earlier employment is treated as a single continuous period of qualifying service with that in the later employment.

(5) Subject to paragraph (6), if—

(a)a person who is an active member in an employment opts to cease to be such a member whilst continuing to be employed in the employment and becomes a deferred member, but not a pensioner member, in respect of that service, and

(b)after a period not exceeding 12 months the person becomes such an active member again in that employment,

qualifying service in the earlier period of active membership is treated as a single period of qualifying service with that in the later period of such membership.

(6) Paragraphs (2), (4) and (5) do not apply if—

(a)the person has received a repayment of contributions under regulation 44 in respect of the earlier period (but see paragraph (7)), or

(b)the person’s rights under the Scheme in respect of that period have been extinguished under regulation 99 because a transfer value payment has been made.

(7) Paragraph (6)(a) does not apply if the person repays to the Department any contributions repaid to the person as mentioned in that paragraph together with any interest on those contributions, before the expiry of the period of 6 months beginning with the date on which the member becomes a member again.

(8) If—

(a)a member is a deferred member or pensioner member in respect of the period of pensionable service before pensionable service ceases for an interval, and

(b)the periods of pensionable service before and after pensionable service ceases for an interval are not treated as a single period of continuous service under regulation 9(5) or regulation 111(2)(a),

the period of pensionable service in respect of which the member is a deferred member or a pensioner member is treated as qualifying service in relation to the period after the interval.