Sick leave is pensionable, provided the member is receiving at least half their salary in respect of that employment. While the member is in pensionable employment, continue to use the same contribution rate as usual, but only apply it to the actual pensionable earnings in the period. Please report the service and salary as if they were receiving their usual full salary, as they will continue to accrue pension as if they were on full pay.

As and when the member is receiving less than half their salary the service is no longer pensionable and contributions must not be deducted. Please report this period of less than half salary as days excluded on service and salary returns.

It’s the responsibility of you and your occupational health advisors to explore ways of helping a member return to work, either through redeployment, part-time working or other workplace adjustments. If they reduce their responsibilities or working pattern and that is unsuccessful in managing their health problems, they can still apply for ill-health benefits. If approved, any enhancement to ill-health benefits will be calculated using salaries before the change in responsibilities or working pattern, provided the illness causing them to apply for benefits is the same as the one when the change occurred. A ‘stepping-down’ form is available (PDF, 423 KB) (This link opens in a new window) on the website to allow employers and members to notify Teachers’ Pensions that a reduction in responsibilities or work-pattern, in order to manage health problems, has occurred.