Status: Deferred (opted out) | Role: Part-time primary teacher

Understand if opting out is right, or for right now?

Penny is 37 and has worked as a teacher for 15 years. Five years ago, she started a family and is now a mother of two.

She joined the Scheme in 2007, meaning she was a member of the final salary 60th scheme and then moved over to the career average scheme in 2015. In 2018, Penny took her first maternity leave and then returned to work before taking her second maternity leave in 2021.

The increased cost of childcare has meant that Penny has decided to go part-time in her role when she returns to her school in 2022. After paying into the Scheme for 15 years she’s decided to take a break by opting out.

She knows that she will opt back in in the future but is unaware of how she can make up the time lost through flexibilities. She also doesn’t realise that opting out affects the family benefits that are part of her Scheme membership.

What can Penny do?

Penny should first register for My Pension Online to understand the current estimated value of her benefits. She should read the family benefits guide (PDF) (This link opens in a new window) to understand what she may miss out on while opted out of the Scheme. Finally, Penny should put a review date in her diary to reassess her financial position and decide if she can opt back in.

Do you sound like Penny? Here’s what you can do:

1. Register or log in to My Pension Online (MPO) to see the value of your benefits and easily opt back in when the time’s right
2. Read the family benefits guide to become more aware of the advantages of being a member of the Scheme
3. Read the flexibilities factsheet (PDF, 133 KB) (This link opens in a new window), or watch our video, to understand how you can make up the time lost and get your savings back on track