Opt in and opt out

Before opting out we would encourage you to consider the benefits of membership of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme which include:

• Ill health cover to protect you and your loved ones if you're unable to work
• A death grant for a nominated person, or your partner or your estate if you die before retirement
• A pension for your partner and any dependant children if you die before or after retirement
• A pension based on your salary and service rather than investments, so there will be no nasty surprises when you come to retirement
• The flexibility to retire from age 55
• Income Tax relief on your contributions
• The ability to manage your pension online in a way that suits you

Is Opting out for you? Watch our video for more information.

If you still wish to opt out, the opt out form can be found here. To receive an automatic refund of contributions deducted from your pay, the completed application must be received within three months of your contractual or auto-enrolment date. The quickest way to opt out is online.

As the form includes a section for your employer to complete, please allow enough time for your employer to process it before the three-month deadline.

You can opt out after the three-month period and contributions will stop in the month after your employer receives the application, but your contributions will not be refunded automatically. You may request a repayment of contributions through the Scheme, but only if you have not qualified for retirement benefits and are not already receiving Scheme benefits.

As all periods of pensionable service count towards qualifying for benefits, any contributions that are not automatically refunded will continue to count towards future benefit entitlement should you rejoin the Scheme at a later date.

If you're looking to opt back into the Scheme you simply need to complete our opt in form (PDF, 333 KB).