Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the Pensions Increase (Review) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 and shall come into operation on 7th April 2025.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In this Order, “ the 1975 Order” means the Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975.

(2) In this Order, any reference to a pension is a reference to a pension which began before 7th April 2025( 6).

Pension increases: annual rate and lump sums

3.—(1) This article applies to an official pension if—

(a) a qualifying condition is satisfied; or

(b) the pension is—

(i) a derivative pension,

(ii) a substituted pension or,

(iii) a relevant injury pension.

(2) In relation to any period on or after 7th April 2025, the pension authority may increase the annual rate( 7) of the pension—

(a) for a pension which began before 8th April 2024, by 1.7 per cent;

(b) for a pension which began on or after 8th April 2024, by 1.7 per cent multiplied by—

where A is the number of complete months in the period between the beginning date( 8) of the pension and 7th April 2025.

(3) In relation to a lump sum( 9) which is payable on or after 8th April 2024 but before 7th April 2025, the pension authority may increase the lump sum by 1.7 per cent multiplied by—

where A is the number of complete months( 10) in the period between the beginning date of the lump sum (or, if later, 8th April 2024) and the date on which it becomes payable.

Reductions in respect of guaranteed minimum pensions

4.—(1) Where—

(a) a person is entitled to an increase in a guaranteed minimum pension on 7th April 2025; and

(b) entitlement to that guaranteed minimum pension arises from an employment from which (either directly, or indirectly by virtue of the payment of a transfer credit) entitlement to the official pension also arises,

the amount by reference to which any increase is calculated for the purposes of article 3(2) must be reduced by an amount equal to the rate of the guaranteed minimum pension unless the Department of Finance otherwise direct in accordance with the provision of Article 69A( 11) of the 1975 Order( 12).

(2) Where on the death of a deceased spouse or civil partner a person becomes entitled to a guaranteed minimum pension in relation to a surviving spouse’s pension or a surviving civil partner’s pension, the amount by reference to which any increase is calculated for the purposes of article 3(2) must be reduced in accordance with Article 69 (5ZA)( 13) of the 1975 Order.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

Under section 69 of the Social Security Pensions (Northern Ireland) Order 1975 (c.15)(increase of official pensions), where the Department for Communities under section 132(1) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c.8), directs that the sums which are the additional pensions in long-term benefits are to be increased by a specified percentage, the Department of Finance shall provide by order for the increase in the rates of public service pensions. The Pensions (Increase) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 (c.35)defines certain terms and sets out when a pension “ begins” (the day after the last day of service in respect of which the pension is payable) and how the increase applies to lump sums.

The increase to be applied is the same as the percentage (or in some circumstances a fraction of the percentage) by which the Department for Communities has, by direction under the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, increased the sums which are the additional pensions in long-term benefits, namely the additional pension entitlements accruing to employees in respect of earnings for service after 5th April 1978.

For pensions which began before 8th April 2024 the increase is 1.7 per cent.

For pensions which began on or after 8th April 2024 the increases (following the calculation set out in article 3) are as follows:—

Article 3 of the Order provides for increases on certain deferred lump sums which become payable on or after 8th April 2024 and before 7th April 2025.

The Order also makes provision for the amount by reference to which any increase in the rate of an official pension is to be calculated to be reduced by an amount equal to the rate of any guaranteed minimum pension entitlement deriving from the employment which gives rise to the official pension.