Pension Schemes Act 1993

Effect of entitlement to guaranteed minimum pensions on payment of social security benefits

46 Effect of entitlement to guaranteed minimum pensions on payment of social security benefits

(1) Where for any period a person is entitled both—

(a) to a Category A or Category B retirement pension, a widowed mother’s allowance, a widow’s pension or a widower’s invalidity pension under the [1992 c. 4.] Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; and

(b) to one or more guaranteed minimum pensions,

the weekly rate of the benefit mentioned in paragraph (a) shall for that period be reduced by an amount equal—

(i) to its additional pension, or

(ii) to the weekly rate of the pension mentioned in paragraph (b) (or, if there is more than one such pension, their aggregate weekly rates),

whichever is the less.

(2) Where for any period—

(a) a person is entitled to one or more guaranteed minimum pensions;

(b) he is also entitled to an invalidity pension under section 33 of the [1992 c. 4.] Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; and

(c) the weekly rate of his invalidity pension includes an additional pension such as is mentioned in section 44(3)(b) of that Act,

for that period section 34 of that Act shall have effect as if the following subsection were substituted for subsection (5)—

“(5) In this section “the relevant amount” means an amount equal to the aggregate of—

(a) the additional pension; and

(b) the weekly rate or aggregate weekly rates of the guaranteed minimum pension or pensions,

reduced by the amount of any reduction in the weekly rate of the invalidity pension made by virtue of section 46(1) of the Pension Schemes Act 1993.”.

(3) Where for any period—

(a) a person is entitled to one or more guaranteed minimum pensions;

(b) he is also entitled to an invalidity pension under section 33 of the [1992 c. 4.] Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; and

(c) the weekly rate of his invalidity pension does not include an additional pension such as is mentioned in section 44(3)(b) of that Act,

for that period the relevant amount shall be deducted from the appropriate weekly rate of invalidity allowance and he shall be entitled to invalidity allowance only if there is a balance after the deduction and, if there is such a balance, at a weekly rate equal to it.

(4) Where for any period—

(a) a person is entitled to one or more guaranteed minimum pensions;

(b) he is also entitled to a Category A retirement pension under section 44 of the [1992 c. 4.] Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; and

(c) the weekly rate of his pension includes an additional pension such as is mentioned in section 44(3)(b) of that Act,

for that period section 47 of that Act shall have effect as if the following subsection were substituted for subsection (3)—

“(3) In subsection (2) above “the relevant amount” means an amount equal to the aggregate of—

(a) the additional pension; and

(b) the weekly rate or aggregate weekly rates of the guaranteed minimum pension or pensions,

reduced by the amount of any reduction in the weekly rate of the Category A retirement pension made by virtue of section 46(1) of the Pension Schemes Act 1993.”.

(5) Where for any period—

(a) a person is entitled to one or more guaranteed minimum pensions;

(b) he is also entitled to a Category A retirement pension under section 44 of the [1992 c. 4.] Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992; and

(c) the weekly rate of his Category A retirement pension does not include an additional pension such as is mentioned in subsection (3)(b) of that section,

for that period the relevant amount shall be deducted from the amount that would otherwise be the increase under section 47(1) of that Act and the pensioner shall be entitled to an increase under that section only if there is a balance remaining after that deduction and, if there is such a balance, of an amount equal to it.

(6) Where for any period—

(a) a person is entitled to one or more guaranteed minimum pensions;

(b) he is also entitled—

(i) to an invalidity pension under section 33 of the [1992 c. 4.] Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992;

(ii) to a Category A retirement pension under section 44 of that Act; or

(iii) to a Category B retirement pension under section 49 of that Act; and

(c) the weekly rate of the pension includes an additional pension such as is mentioned in section 44(3)(b) of that Act,

for that period paragraph 3 of Schedule 7 to that Act shall have effect as if the following sub-paragraph were substituted for sub-paragraph (3)—

“(3) In this paragraph “the relevant amount” means an amount equal to the aggregate of—

(a) the additional pension; and

(b) the weekly rate or aggregate weekly rates of the guaranteed minimum pension or pensions,

reduced by the amount of any reduction in the weekly rate of the pension made by virtue of section 46(1) of the Pension Schemes Act 1993.”.

(7) Where for any period—

(a) a person is entitled to one or more guaranteed minimum pensions;

(b) he is also entitled to any of the pensions under the [1992 c. 4.] Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 mentioned in subsection (6)(b); and

(c) the weekly rate of the pension does not include an additional pension such as is mentioned in section 44(3)(b) of that Act,

for that period the relevant amount shall be deducted from the amount that would otherwise be the increase under paragraph 3 of Schedule 7 to that Act and the beneficiary shall be entitled to an increase only if there is a balance after that deduction and, if there is such a balance, only to an amount equal to it.

(8) In this section “the relevant amount” means an amount equal to the weekly rate or aggregate weekly rates of the guaranteed minimum pension or pensions—

(a) in the case of subsection (3), reduced by the amount of any reduction in the weekly rate of the invalidity pension made by virtue of subsection (1); and

(b) in the case of subsection (5), reduced by the amount of any reduction in the weekly rate of the Category A retirement pension made by virtue of subsection (1);

and references in this section to the weekly rate of a guaranteed minimum pension are references to that rate without any increase under section 15(1).

(9) Where subsection (3) applies, section 34(7) of the [1992 c. 4.] Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 shall have effect as if for the words “subsection (4) above” there were substituted the words “section 46(3) of the Pension Schemes Act 1993”.

47 Further provisions concerning entitlement to guaranteed minimum pensions for the purposes of s. 46

(1) The reference in section 46(1) to a person entitled to a guaranteed minimum pension shall be construed as including a reference to a person so entitled by virtue of being the widower of an earner in any case where he is entitled to a widower’s invalidity pension, but where he is entitled to any other benefit that reference shall be so construed only if—

(a) at the time of the earner’s death she and her husband had both attained pensionable age; or

(b) he is also entitled to a Category A retirement pension by virtue of section 41(7) of the [1992 c. 4.] Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992.

(2) For the purposes of section 46 a person shall be treated as entitled to any guaranteed minimum pension to which he would have been entitled—

(a) if its commencement had not been postponed, as mentioned in section 13(4); or

(b) if there had not been made a transfer payment or transfer under regulations made by virtue of section 20 as a result of which—

(i) he is no longer entitled to guaranteed minimum pensions under the scheme by which the transfer payment or transfer was made, and

(ii) he has not become entitled to guaranteed minimum pensions under the scheme to which the transfer payment or transfer was made.

(3) Where—

(a) guaranteed minimum pensions provided for a member or the member’s widow or widower under a contracted-out scheme have been wholly or partly secured as mentioned in subsection (3) of section 19; and

(b) either—

(i) the transaction wholly or partly securing them was carried out before 1st January 1986 and discharged the trustees or managers of the scheme as mentioned in subsection (1) of that section; or

(ii) it was carried out on or after that date without any of the requirements specified in subsection (5)(a) to (c) of that section being satisfied in relation to it and the scheme has been wound up; and

(c) any company with which any relevant policy of insurance or annuity contract was taken out or entered into is unable to meet the liabilities under policies issued or securities given by it; and

(d) the combined proceeds of—

(i) any relevant policies and annuity contracts, and

(ii) any cash sums paid or alternative arrangements made under the [1975 c. 75.] Policyholders Protection Act 1975,

are inadequate to provide the whole of the amount secured,

the member and the member’s widow or widower shall be treated for the purposes of section 46 as only entitled to such part (if any) of the member’s or, as the case may be, the member’s widow’s or widower’s guaranteed minimum pension as is provided by the proceeds mentioned in paragraph (d).

(4) A policy or annuity is relevant for the purposes of subsection (3) if taking it out or entering into it constituted the transaction to which section 19 applies.

(5) For the purposes of section 46 a person shall be treated as entitled to any guaranteed minimum pension to which he would have been entitled—

(a) if a lump sum had not been paid instead of that pension under provisions included in a scheme by virtue of section 21(1); or

(b) if that pension had not been forfeited under provisions included in a scheme by virtue of section 21(2).

48 Reduced benefits where minimum payments or minimum contributions paid

(1) Subject to subsection (3), this subsection applies where for any period—

(a) minimum payments have been made in respect of an earner to an occupational pension scheme which is a money purchase contracted-out scheme in relation to the earner’s employment, or

(b) minimum contributions have been paid in respect of an earner under section 43.

(2) Where subsection (1) applies then, for the purposes of section 46—

(a) the earner shall be treated, as from the date on which he reaches pensionable age, as entitled to a guaranteed minimum pension at a prescribed weekly rate arising from that period in that employment;

(b) in prescribed circumstances if the earner dies after reaching pensionable age any widow or widower of the earner shall be treated as entitled to a guaranteed minimum pension at a rate equal to one-half of the rate prescribed under paragraph (a); and

(c) in prescribed circumstances if the earner dies before reaching pensionable age any widow or widower of the earner shall be treated as entitled to a guaranteed minimum pension at a prescribed weekly rate arising from that period;

and where subsection (1)(b) applies paragraphs (a) to (c) of this subsection apply also for the purposes of sections 34(4) and 47(2) of the [1992 c. 4.] Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 and paragraph 3(2) of Schedule 7 to that Act, but with the omission from paragraph (a) of the words “in that employment”.

(3) Where the earner is a married woman or widow, subsection (1) shall not have effect by virtue of paragraph (a) of that subsection in relation to any period during which there is operative an election that her liability in respect of primary Class 1 contributions shall be a liability to contribute at a reduced rate.

(4) The power to prescribe a rate conferred by subsection (2)(a) includes power to prescribe a nil rate.