
1 
These Regulations may be cited as the Pensions Dashboards (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023 and shall come into operation on 9th August 2023.
2 
The Pensions Dashboards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023 are amended in accordance with regulations 3 to 11.
3 
In regulation 14(2) (cooperation – trustees or managers) for “the staging profile” substitute “regulation 15(1)”.
4 
In regulation 15 (connection according to the staging profile)—
(a) in the heading for “staging profile” substitute “connection deadline”;
(b) in paragraph (2)—
(i) omit “16,”;
(ii) omit sub-paragraphs (a) and (b);
(iii) before sub-paragraph (c) insert—“
(aa) by no later than the connection deadline;”;
(iv) in sub-paragraph (d)—(aa) after “from time to time by” insert “the Department,”;(bb) before “jointly” insert “by at least 2 of them”;
(c) omit paragraph (3);
(d) for paragraph (6) substitute—“
(6) The connection deadline that applies to a pension scheme under paragraph (2)(aa) remains fixed, unless—
(a) the deadline changes pursuant to regulation 17, 19 or 20, or
(b) all the members of the scheme become pensioner members.”.
5 
In regulation 16 (early or voluntary connection)—
(a) for the heading substitute “Voluntary connection”;
(b) in paragraph (1)—
(i) omit sub-paragraph (a);
(ii) omit “early or”;
(c) in paragraphs (2) and (3) omit “early or”;
(d) in paragraph (4)—
(i) omit “early or”;
(ii) in sub-paragraph (a)—(aa) omit “even if there is a change in the classification of the scheme type or in its size,”;(bb) in head (ii) for “members;” substitute “members.”;
(iii) omit sub-paragraph (b);
(e) in paragraph (5)—
(i) omit “early or”;
(ii) in sub-paragraph (b) for “within the connection window referred to in paragraph (4)(b)” substitute “by no later than the agreed deadline”.
6 
In regulation 17 (deferred connection)—
(a) in paragraph (1)—
(i) for “staging deadline that applies to a pension scheme by virtue of regulation 15(2)(a)” substitute “connection deadline that applies to a pension scheme by virtue of regulation 15(2)(aa)”;
(ii) omit sub-paragraph (a);
(iii) before sub-paragraph (b) insert—“
(aa) no more than 12 months has passed since 9th August 2023;”;
(iv) in sub-paragraph (b) for “previously;” substitute “previously.”;
(v) omit sub-paragraph (c);
(b) in paragraph (2)—
(i) for “staging deadline that” substitute “connection deadline that”;
(ii) omit sub-paragraph (a);
(iii) before sub-paragraph (b) insert—“
(aa) submit evidence to demonstrate that at least one of the following conditions applies—
(i) that before 9th August 2023, they had embarked on a programme to transfer the data held by the pension scheme to a new administrator;
(ii) that before 9th August 2023, they had entered into a contract containing an obligation to retender the administration of the scheme, and that the timetable for this is reasonable and conflicts with the connection deadline;”;
(iv) in sub-paragraph (b) for “staging deadline” substitute “connection deadline”;
(c) in paragraph (3) for “staging deadline”, in each place where it occurs, substitute “connection deadline”;
(d) for paragraph (4) substitute—“
(4) Where permission is granted to defer the connection deadline under paragraph (3)(a), the agreed deadline remains fixed, unless all the members of the scheme become pensioner members.”;
(e) in paragraph (5)—
(i) for “staging deadline” substitute “connection deadline”;
(ii) in sub-paragraph (b) for “within the connection window referred to in paragraph (4)(b)” substitute “by no later than the agreed deadline”.
7 
In regulation 18 (connection where the staging profile does not apply)—
(a) for the heading substitute “Connection for new or growing schemes”;
(b) in paragraph (1) for sub-paragraph (a) substitute—“
(a) a pension scheme does not exist at the reference date or has fewer than 100 relevant members at the reference date, but is established (if it did not exist previously) and has 100 or more relevant members at a scheme year end date on or after 1st April 2024, and”;
(c) in paragraph (2) for sub-paragraph (b) substitute—“
(b) the connection deadline that applies to a scheme which is covered by regulation 15(1).”;
(d) omit paragraph (3);
(e) for paragraph (4) substitute—“
(4) Once a deadline applies pursuant to paragraph (2), that deadline remains fixed, unless—
(a) permission to defer connection is given under regulation 17, or
(b) all the members of the scheme become pensioner members.”;
(f) in paragraph (5)(b) for “within the connection window referred to in paragraph (4)(b)” substitute “by no later than the deadline pursuant to paragraph (2)”.
8 
In regulation 19 (connection where these Regulations cease to apply and then apply again)—
(a) for paragraph (3) substitute—“
(3) Once a deadline applies pursuant to paragraph (2), the deadline remains fixed, unless—
(a) permission to defer connection is given under regulation 17 (in which case the rules in that provision apply instead), or
(b) all the members of the scheme become pensioner members.”;
(b) in paragraph (4)(b) for “within the connection window referred to in paragraph (3)(b)” substitute “by no later than the deadline pursuant to paragraph (2)”.
9 
In regulation 20 (connection affected by an assessment period)—
(a) for paragraph (2) substitute—“
(2) Once a deadline applies pursuant to paragraph (1)(b), the deadline remains fixed, unless—
(a) permission to defer connection is given under regulation 17, or
(b) all the members of the scheme become pensioner members.”;
(b) in paragraph (3)(b) for “within the connection window referred to in paragraph (2)(b)” substitute “by no later than the deadline pursuant to paragraph (1)(b)”.
10 
In Schedule 1 (interpretation)—
(a) omit the definition of “automatic enrolment”;
(b) after the definition of “connection and security standards” insert—“
 “connection deadline” means 31st October 2026, being the latest date by which relevant occupational pension schemes must be connected to the Money and Pensions Service (unless a different deadline applies pursuant to regulation 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20);”;
(c) in the definition of “guidance” omit “early or”;
(d) omit the definition of “hybrid scheme”;
(e) omit the definition of “master trust scheme”;
(f) in the definition of “reference date” for “1st April 2020 and 31st March 2021” substitute “1st April 2023 and 31st March 2024”;
(g) omit the definition of “staging deadline”;
(h) omit the definition of “staging profile”.
11 
Omit Schedule 2 (staging profile).
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Communities on 21st July 2023
(L.S.)David Tarr
A senior officer of the Department for Communities
