The Occupational Pension Schemes (Transfer Values) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Manner of calculation and verification of cash equivalents

7.—(1) Except in a case to which, or to the extent to which, paragraph (2) or (5) applies, cash equivalents are to be calculated and verified in such manner as may be approved in particular cases by the scheme actuary or, in relation to a scheme to which Article 47(1)(b) (professional advisers) does not apply, by—

(a) a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries(1);

(b) a Fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries(2); or

(c) a person with other actuarial qualifications who is approved by the Department, at the request of the trustees of the scheme in question, as being a proper person to act for the purposes of these Regulations in connection with that scheme,

and, subject to paragraph (2), in this regulation and in regulations 8 and 11 “actuary” means the scheme actuary or, in relation to a scheme to which Article 47(1)(b) does not apply, the actuary referred to in sub-paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this paragraph.

(2) Where the member in respect of whom a cash equivalent is to be calculated and verified is a member of a scheme having particulars from time to time set out in regulations made under Article 9 of the Superannuation (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(3) (superannuation of persons employed in local government service, etc.), that cash equivalent shall be calculated and verified in such manner as may be approved by the Government Actuary or by an actuary authorised by the Government Actuary to act on his behalf for that purpose and in such a case “actuary” in this regulation and in regulations 8 and 11 means the Government Actuary or the actuary so authorised.

(3) Except in a case to which paragraph (5) applies, cash equivalents are to be calculated and verified by adopting methods and making assumptions which—

(a) if not determined by the trustees of the scheme in question, are notified to them by the actuary; and

(b) are certified by the actuary to the trustees of the scheme as being—

(i) consistent with the requirements of Chapter IV of Part IV of the Act;

(ii) consistent with “Retirement Benefit Schemes - Transfer Values (GN 11)” published by the Institute of Actuaries and the Faculty of Actuaries and current at the guarantee date, or if the cash equivalent is of money purchase benefits, at the relevant date;

(iii) consistent with the methods adopted and assumptions made, at the time when the certificate is issued, in calculating the benefits to which entitlement arises under the rules of the scheme in question for a person who is acquiring transfer credits under those rules; and

(iv) in the case of a scheme to which Article 56 (minimum funding requirement) applies, consistent with the methods and assumptions adopted in calculating, for the purposes of Article 57 (valuation and certification of assets and liabilities), the liabilities mentioned in Article 73(3)(a), (c)(i) and (d) (preferential liabilities on winding up), subject only to adjustments necessary to take account of the fact that the cash equivalent calculation is made on an individual and not a collective basis.

(4) If, by virtue of regulations made under Article 61 (Articles 56 to 60: supplementary), Article 56 applies to a section of a scheme as if that section were a separate scheme, paragraph (3)(b)(iv) shall apply as if that section were a separate scheme and as if the reference therein to a scheme were accordingly a reference to that section.

(5) Where a cash equivalent or any portion of a cash equivalent relates to money purchase benefits which do not fall to be valued in a manner which involves making estimates of the value of benefits, then that cash equivalent or that portion shall be calculated and verified in such manner as may be approved in particular cases by the trustees of the scheme and in accordance with methods consistent with the requirements of Chapter IV of Part IV of the Act.

(1)

The Institute of Actuaries is at Staple Inn Hall, High Holborn, London WCIV 7QJ

(2)

The Faculty of Actuaries is at 17 Thistle Street, Edinburgh EH2 1DF

(3)

S.I. 1972/1073 (N.I. 10)