Answer:

If you work part-time, you’re treated in the same way as a full-time member.

All your periods of service, both full and part-time, are added together when calculating if you have qualified for benefits. In career average your benefits are based on 1/57th of your earnings, the same as full-time members.

If you die in service while in the career average scheme a death grant of three times your annual rate of pensionable earnings (if you were employed full-time) is payable at the time of your death (the same as a full-time member).

If you had past service in the final salary scheme, this was calculated using your full-time equivalent salary rates and not your part-time salary.

Answer:

Family leave covers absence due to maternity leave, paternity leave, neonatal leave and adoption leave. To be pensionable you must be receiving at least half your salary or statutory pay; or if you’re on sick leave, at least half your salary in respect of that employment. Family leave also covers Carer’s leave, although this is typically unpaid meaning that it’s not pensionable.

Answer:

Provided you’re receiving at least half your salary or Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) your leave will be classed as pensionable employment. If you don’t, then that period won’t be counted as pensionable.

Answer:

Yes, KIT days are pensionable if you are being paid at least half pay or statutory parental pay.

Answer:

Yes, shared parental leave is pensionable if you are being paid at least half pay or statutory parental pay.

Answer:

Your pensionable employment will be considered to have stopped at the end of your Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or once you’ve stopped receiving any pay. You’ll then be treated as a deferred member of the Scheme.

Answer:

From 6 April 2025, a new type of statutory or family leave became available for parents of newborn babies who need intensive care. Neonatal care leave applies to parents of children born on or after 6 April 2025 and enables a parent to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave.

Neonatal Care Leave is pensionable in the following circumstances:

• Statutory Neonatal Care Pay

You may be entitled to Statutory Neonatal Care Pay. If you’re eligible, you’ll receive the lower of £187.18 a week (2025/26) or 90% of their average weekly earnings. This’ll be paid to you in the same way as you receive your salary (e.g. whether this is weekly or monthly), taking account of any deductions for tax and National Insurance. This again is pensionable in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, and you’ll be treated as being in receipt of full pay for the purposes of pension accrual.

• Neonatal Care Leave which is at least half pay

Neonatal Care Leave which is at least half pay, will also be pensionable in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. In both cases, you’ll continue to accrue benefits on your full pensionable salary. You’ll also remain covered for in-service death benefits while on Neonatal Care Leave.

Answer:

Carer’s leave was introduced on 6 April 2024. Unlike most other family leave, it’s unpaid.

Nevertheless, should your employer continue to pay at least half pay to you while you’re on Carer’s Leave, you’ll continue to accrue further benefits in the Scheme. If, however, you receive less than half pay e.g. nil pay, it’ll revert to non-pensionable.

If your Carer's leave is unpaid (or less than half of your normal salary), it’ll count as Family Leave. This means that even though you may be receiving nil pay, you’ll still be classed as 'in-service' and continue to receive all the benefits of an in-service membership, such as in-service death benefits and in-service pensions increase. The leave itself will go on your record as days excluded.