AQW 18748/22-27


Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast


Tabled Date: 25/11/2024
Answered On Date: 04/12/2024
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Finance for an updated timeline to meet requirements arising from the McCloud judgement.


Answer:
Under the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 my Department has direct responsibility for remedy requirements arising from the McCloud Judgment in respect of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Following completion of the necessary secondary legislation and removal of the transitional protections which gave rise to the McCloud Judgment, the necessary processes are now in place to meet requirements for active members with service in the remedy period (1 April 2015 - 31 March 2022). Such members now receive a choice about their remedy benefit entitlements prior to retirement.
Active members affected by the remedy have also received a personalised Remediable Service Statement (RSS) detailing their entitlements under the McCloud remedy. These members will continue to receive an updated statement of their entitlements annually until retirement.
In respect of members with service in the remedy period who have already left service the requirement is that they are provided with a retrospective choice about their remedy service. This work is ongoing and my Department has started to issue choices to this cohort.
Timeline
The legislation specifies that members should be provided with their retrospective choice by 31 March 2025 or a later date ‘as the scheme manager considers reasonable in all the circumstances in the case of a particular member or a particular class of member’.
My Department is currently assessing what is achievable by 31 March 2025 and what is a realistic timeline for completion of this exercise. It should be noted this work involves complex and time-consuming personalised calculations based on members’ individual circumstances, and often complicated interactions with pensions taxation. As a consequence some members or particular classes of members may receive their retrospective choice after 31 March 2025. Communications are being developed to keep affected members updated.