The State Pension Regulations 2015

Year2015

2015No. 173

SOCIAL SECURITY

The State Pension Regulations 2015

9thFebruary2015

6thApril2016

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 55A(6) and 175(4) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992( 1), sections 23(1)(a), (b)(ii) and (c)(i) and (2), 48(1)(f)(ii) and 49(4) and (4A) of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999( 2) and sections 2(3), 4(2), 8(3), (7) and (8), 16(1) and (6), 17(4) and (5), 18(1), 19(1) and (3), 22(1) and 54(5) and (6) of, and paragraph 4 of Schedule 8 and paragraph 4 of Schedule 10 to, the Pensions Act 2014( 3).

The Social Security Advisory Committee has agreed that the proposals in respect of Part 5 of these Regulations should not be referred to it( 4).

The remainder of these Regulations have not been referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee because they are made before the end of the period of six months beginning with the coming into force of the provisions of the Pensions Act 2014 under which they are made( 5).

In accordance with section 83(11) of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999, due to the exercise of powers to make regulations under Part 4 of that Act, the Secretary of State has consulted such persons as he considers appropriate about Part 5 of these Regulations( 6).

A draft of these Regulations has been laid before Parliament in accordance with section 54(2)(a) of the Pensions Act 2014 and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

PART 1

General

Citation, commencement, application and interpretation

1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the State Pension Regulations 2015.

(2) These Regulations come into force on 6th April 2016.

(3) These Regulations (except Part 5) do not apply to a person who reaches pensionable age( 7) before 6th April 2016.

(4) In these Regulations, "the 2014 Act" means the Pensions Act 2014.

(5) For the purposes of these Regulations (except this paragraph), two people are to be treated as if they are not married to each other in relation to times when either of them is married to a third person.

PART 2

Prisoners

Prisoners who are not to be paid state pension

2.-(1) Subject to regulation 3, a person is not to be paid a state pension under Part 1 of the 2014 Act (state pension) for any period during which the person is a prisoner( 8) who is mentioned in paragraph (2).

(2) Except where paragraph (3) applies, a person is a prisoner for the purposes of paragraph (1) where the person is-

(a) a prisoner in Great Britain or elsewhere who is imprisoned or detained in legal custody in connection with, or as a result of, criminal proceedings;(b) a prisoner in Great Britain or elsewhere who is unlawfully at large;(c) a prisoner in Great Britain who is being detained-(i) under section 47 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (removal to hospital of persons serving sentences of imprisonment etc)( 9); and(ii) on or before the day which the Secretary of State certifies to be the person's release date (if any) within the meaning in section 50(3) of that Act( 10) (d) a prisoner in Great Britain who is being detained under section 136 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 (transfer of prisoners for treatment of mental disorder)( 11).

(3) Where a person outside Great Britain is a prisoner within paragraph (2)(a) or (b) and, in similar circumstances in Great Britain, the person would not have been a prisoner, the person is not a prisoner within paragraph (2)(a) or (b).

Paying state pension to persons who are remanded in custody

3.-(1) Where a person is remanded in custody for an offence, regulation 2(1) does not apply unless a sentence described in paragraph (2) is later imposed on the person for the offence.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the described sentences for the purposes of paragraph (1) are-

(a) a sentence of imprisonment or detention in legal custody as a result of criminal proceedings;(b) a sentence of detention where the provisions mentioned in regulation 2(2)(c)(i) or (d) apply;(c) a suspended sentence within the meaning in section 189 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (suspended sentences of imprisonment)( 12).

(3) A sentence described in paragraph (2)(a) which is imposed outside Great Britain is not a described sentence for the purposes of paragraph (1) if, in similar circumstances in Great Britain, a sentence described in paragraph (2)(a) would not have been imposed.

PART 3

Deferral of State Pension

When a choice of lump sum or survivor's pension may be made

4.-(1) Where a person falls within section 8(1) of the 2014 Act (choice of lump sum or survivor's pension under section 9 in certain cases), paragraphs (2) and (3) set out the period within which that person is to make any choice under section 8(2) of that Act to be paid-

(a) a lump sum under section 8 of that Act; or(b) a state pension under section 9 of that Act (survivor's pension based on inheritance of deferred old state pension).

(2) Where the Secretary of State has issued a notice which confirms that the person may make the choice, the period is three months starting on the date in that notice (or, where there is more than one notice which confirms that the person may make that choice, the date in the most recent such notice).

(3) Where the person makes the choice before the Secretary of State has issued any such notice, the period-

(a) starts on the later of the date-(i) the person claims a state pension; or(ii) the person's spouse or civil partner died; and(b) ends on the date the person makes the choice.

(4) A person may make a late choice after the period set out in this regulation in circumstances where-

(a) the Secretary of State considers it is reasonable in any particular case; and(b) any amount paid by way of (or on account of) a lump sum under section 8(4) of the 2014 Act has been repaid to the Secretary of State-(i) in full; and(ii) in the currency in which that amount was originally paid.

(5) The amount of any lump sum to be paid to the person under section 8(4) is reduced to nil where the person makes a late choice under paragraph (4) to be paid a state pension under section 9 of the 2014 Act.

How a choice of lump sum or survivor's pension may be made

5.-(1) Where a person falls within section 8(1) of the 2014 Act, this regulation sets out the manner in which that person is to make any choice under section 8(2) of that Act to be paid-

(a) a lump sum under section 8 of that Act; or(b) a state pension under section 9 of that Act.

(2) The manner is-

(a) in writing to an office which is specified to the person in writing by the Secretary of State as accepting any such choice; or(b) by telephone to a telephone number which is specified to the person in writing by the Secretary of State as accepting any such choice.

(3) The person must use the manner set out in paragraph (2)(a) where the Secretary of State directs in any particular case that that manner must be used.

Changing a choice of lump sum or survivor's pension

6.-(1) Any choice under section 8(2) of the 2014 Act to be paid-

(a) a lump sum under section 8 of that Act; or(b) a state pension under section 9 of that Act,

may be altered in the circumstances specified in paragraph (2).

(2) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (1) are-

(a) the person who made the choice has not subsequently died;(b) an application is made to alter the choice;(c) the application is made within-(i) the period of three months starting on the date in the notification issued by the Secretary of State which confirms the choice that has been made; or(ii) such longer period as the Secretary of State considers reasonable in any particular case;(d) the application is made in the manner set out in-(i) regulation 5(2)(a), where the Secretary of State directs in any particular case that the manner in regulation 5(2)(a) must be used; or(ii) regulation 5(2)(a) or (b), in all other cases;(e) where the application is to alter the choice so that it becomes a choice to be paid a state pension under section 9 of the 2014 Act, any amount paid by way of (or on account of) a lump sum under section 8 of the 2014 Act has been repaid to the Secretary of State-(i) in full;(ii) within the period mentioned in sub-paragraph (c); and(iii) in the currency in which that amount was originally paid;(f) where the application is to alter the choice so that it becomes a choice to be paid a lump sum under section 8 of the 2014 Act, any amount paid by way of (or on account of) a state pension under section 9 of the 2014 Act would be less than the amount which would be paid as a lump sum under section 8 of the 2014 Act;(g) no previous alteration has been made under this regulation in respect of the same deferral mentioned in section 8(1)(c) of the 2014 Act; and(h) the choice has not been treated as made under regulation 30(5G) of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987 (payments on death)( 13).

(3) Where the circumstance in paragraph (2)(f) applies, any amount paid by way of (or on account of) a state pension under section 9 of the 2014 Act in respect of the deferral mentioned in section 8(1)(c) of the 2014 Act for which the choice was originally made is to be treated as having been paid on account of the lump sum to be paid under section 8 of the 2014 Act.

How entitlement to a state pension may be suspended

7.-(1) A person who has become entitled to a state pension under Part 1 of the 2014 Act may opt to suspend their entitlement if they give notice to the Secretary of State.

(2) The manner in which the notice must be given is-

(a) in writing to an office which is specified to the person in writing by the Secretary of State as accepting any such notice; or(b) by telephone to a telephone number which is specified to the person in writing by the Secretary of State as accepting any such notice.

(3) But the person must use the manner set out in paragraph (2)(a) where the Secretary of State directs in any...

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