RPSM14301110 - Scheme Administrator Pages: Transfers: Making a transfer from a registered pension scheme: Transfer to a registered pension scheme - protected low pension age

Transfer to a registered pension scheme - protected low pension age under a personal pension scheme or retirement annuity contract

If the transferring member claims that they are entitled to low pension age protection, you may be asked to provide details of the member's entitlement either to the member or to the scheme administrator of the receiving scheme.

The member qualifies to retain their low pension age after transferring from your scheme if

• your scheme, before 6 April 2006, was either

• the low pension age which applied to the member on 5 April 2006 was an age under 50, and
• the member's occupation on 5 April 2006 was a prescribed occupation, and
• the transfer is part of a block transfer.

Further condition

But even if all the above conditions are satisfied, the member will be treated as receiving an unauthorised payment on crystallisation at the earlier age unless he becomes entitled to all benefits under the receiving scheme (that were not already in payment on 5 April 2006) at the same time. This will not be determined until he actually reaches the early pension age.

You do not have to take any action about this either at the time of the transfer, or at the date of the eventual benefit crystallisation event ( BCE). It will be a matter for the new scheme administrator.