If you decide to return to teaching, you’ll enter the career average scheme. 

Once you become a deferred member we'll revalue your career average benefits each year, usually in line with CPI (but officially based on Treasury Order). If your break from service is more than five years the deferred rate of revaluation will continue to be applied to the career average benefits accrued before your break. Any new pension accrual following a return to service will be revalued as an active member.

If you return after a break of not more than five years we’ll go back and change the deferred revaluation to active revaluation during the period you were out of service.

If you were in final salary service before your break and you’ve been out of service for more than five years, you’ll lose your final salary link. Find out more about this with our factsheet (PDF, 76 KB) (This link opens in a new window). 

If you’ve returned to teaching from another role within public service, you can request a transfer in through the application form on My Pension Online (MPO).

Auto and contractual enrolment

As a deferred member, it’s important to remember that if you take up a new contract of employment (either at an existing or new establishment) you’ll be contractually enrolled back into the Scheme. 

You may also be placed back into the Scheme (even if you have not changed establishments) if your employer reaches their Auto Enrolment staging date. 

If you work for a Phased Withdrawal school and choose to opt out of the Scheme, contractual Auto Enrolment won’t apply to you. Find out more about Phased Withdrawal (This link opens in a new window).

You can find out more about Auto Enrolment in the ‘Work events’ section of our website (This link opens in a new window)