Following our alert of 30 December on recent amendments to the
National Pension Scheme, there are two updates: the National
Pension Scheme (Occupational Pensions) Amendment Act 2019 (No. 2)
Commencement Notice 2019 (the "No. 2 Notice") and the
National Pension Scheme (Occupational Pensions) Temporary Amendment
Act 2019 (the "Temporary Act").
The No. 2 Notice
The National Pension Scheme (Occupational Pensions) Amendment
Act 2019 Commencement Notice 2019 has been revoked by the No. 2
Notice. The only substantive change occasioned by the issuance of
the No. 2 Notice is a change to the operative date for the
amendment to the variation of payment to disabled persons
provision. With effect from 2 March 2020, a pension plan that
permits variation in the terms of payment of a pension by reason of
a member having a mental or physical disability requires an opinion
of a qualified medical practitioner that the disability is likely
to reduce the member's life expectancy to