The good news is you may be able to transfer your pension from your previous scheme into your teacher's pension. But you can only do it if it meets HM Revenue & Customs’ rules and your previous scheme is willing to pay a transfer value. You have 12 months to complete the transfer in process from entering, or returning to, pensionable teaching service and that also applies if your previous pension was earned while teaching in Scotland or Northern Ireland. The process can be lengthy so don’t hang about.

If you want to transfer your pension from your previous scheme, please complete the application forms online.

Got another pension? Watch this video to find out if you can transfer it into your teacher’s pension.

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Joining from another public service pension scheme?

If you’re eligible to apply for a transfer in due to the rollback changes for Transitional Protection, please use the paper form.

If you've previously been a member of a public service pension scheme you may wish to consider transferring your pension to us. But did you know that your service in other public service pension’s schemes may qualify you for salary link protections in the Teachers' Pension Scheme?
The other public service schemes are: Local Government Pension Scheme, NHS Pension Scheme, Civil Service Pension Scheme, Police, Fire, Armed Forces and Judiciary.

New to the Scheme

Even if you left your previous scheme as a protected member in the final salary scheme, you’ll enter the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in the career average scheme.

Returning to the Scheme

If you're returning to the Teachers' Pension Scheme after a break of more than five years, any service during that period in another public service scheme may mean that you retain the Salary Link in the Teachers' Pension Scheme. The Salary Link is the protection introduced with the move to career average that allows us to use the salaries in career average service when calculating any final salary benefits to which you're entitled. If you're returning to us after a break of more than five years, but spent some or all of that period in pensionable public service, please complete the Previous Pensionable Public Service Questionnaire (PDF, 454 KB) (This link opens in a new window) and ask your previous scheme to complete their details before sending them to us. We'll then check and, if you qualify, we'll re-establish the Salary Link between your future service and your final salary benefits.

Affected by Transitional Protection changes?

If you’re affected by the Transitional Protection changes, it’s important to understand decisions you need to make regarding transfers.

There’s more information on our bespoke Transitional Protection transfers webpage.