Past/Deferred Members FAQs

Q. What is a deferred member?

A. A deferred member is a member of the TPS who has left pensionable service with pensionable service still in the TPS and is not yet receiving retirement benefits.

Q. What happens to my service if I leave pensionable teaching employment?

A. Your service will remain to your credit and will be added to service undertaken in the future. If you take up other employment outside teaching it may be possible to transfer that credit to your new pension provider. Further information can be found in the fact sheet Leaving pensionable employment.

Q. I am leaving the country and do not qualify for retirement benefits can I get my pension contributions back?

A. You can claim a repayment of your pension contributions if you have less than 2 years pensionable service.  You will not receive the full value of your contributions as there will be deductions made for National Insurance and tax. It may be possible to transfer your pension credit to a pension scheme in the country where you are moving to subject to certain conditions.  Further information can be found in the fact sheet Leaving pensionable employment.

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Q. As a deferred member can I purchase additional pension?

A. No. Additional pension can only be purchased by in-service members. If you are purchasing additional pension when you leave pensionable service you have the option to pay the outstanding contributions within 30 days of leaving that pensionable employment. If you decide not to pay the outstanding contributions then you will be credited with the value of the pension that you have paid for up to your last day of pensionable service.

Q. How do I apply for my deferred pension benefits?

A. You can complete an application form that is available in the secure member area of the website. The application form should be submitted to TP at least 30 days before your normal retirement date, i.e. 60 or 65.  You will not receive any benefits unless you submit an application form. If you applying for your benefits before your normal retirement date of 60 or 65 then you should apply at least 6 weeks before your chosen payable date.

Q. How is the average salary calculated for deferred members?

A. If you have been in pensionable service on or after 01.01.2007 then your average salary will be the better of:

  • Your final full time equivalent salary averaged out over the last twelve months of service
  • An average of your best three revalued year’s salaries of the last ten years of pensionable service

However if all your pensionable service is before 01.01.2007 then it will be an average of the best salary over any 12 months out of the last three years.

Where a teacher is part time we use the full time equivalent to calculate the average. Please see the final average salary fact sheet for more information. Further information can be found in the fact sheet Average Salary.

Q. What benefits will I receive if I retire on grounds of ill health?

A. Only accrued benefits with no enhancement may be awarded. Your application will be assessed using the criteria for total incapacity.  That means you must be incapable of being able to teach and unable to undertake any other gainful employment. Further information can be found in the leaflet Ill-health retirement benefits.

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Q. Can I take phased retirement?

A. Yes, providing you left pensionable service from a higher paid post, are 55 or over and within six months of take up a new post either as a teacher or in the education field, with a 20% reduction in salary and within 3 months of taking up that lower paid post apply for phased retirement

Q. Can I nominate my partner to receive a pension after I die?

A. Yes, you can nominate your partner providing you have lived together for longer than two years, have shared interdependency, your both able to enter into either a civil partnership or marriage but only service from 1 January 2007 counts for benefit, a 2-year qualification period is required and you can only purchase previous service when you are in pensionable employment.  Please see the partner nomination form for a more detailed explanation of the eligibility criteria and the benefits payable.

Q. Does the increased death grant apply to me?

A. No. If you have been out of pensionable service for 12 months or more and have not received retirement benefits then when you die, the death grant will be the higher of the value of a lump sum based on your pensionable teaching service to the date of death or the value of the contributions paid to the TPS plus interest at 3% per annum to the date of death. Further information can be found in the leaflet Survivor and Death Benefits.

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Q. If I have a break of 5 years or more between employments does that mean I will have mixed service pension?

A. If all your service and the break in service ended before 1 January 2007, then you will be subject to a NPA of 60 and not receive mixed service benefits.  If your service was before 1 January 2007 and at any point after 31 December 2007, and you have a break of more than 5 years, your future service will have a NPA of 65 and accrual of pension at a rate of 1/60ths for each year of service with no automatic lump sum. Existing service will retain a NPA of 60 with 1/80ths accrual for each year of service and an automatic lump sum of 3 times the member’s pension. You will have “mixed service” with part of your service having an NPA of 60 and part of your service with an NPA of 65.  If you commenced pensionable service for the first time on or after 1 January 2007 and subsequently have a gap in service you will be subject to a NPA of 65.

Q. Is a five year break in service a single period or accumulated periods?

A. If you return after 31 December 2007 with a break of less than five years, a minimum period of scheme membership of 30 days reckonable service or 60 days pensionable employment must be undertaken before the break is considered to have ceased. Further periods of 5 years will begin at the end of each period of employment. Further information can be found in the fact sheet Deferred members at 31 December 2006.

Q. How will I know how much service I have to my credit to qualify for a further 5 year protection for NPA of 60?

A. You can view an estimate of benefits on the secure Member area of the website, “My Pension On-line”. These estimates detail the service periods held on your record. You can access your estimate as many times as you like and there are a range of other facilities available on the website.

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