If a member is returning to the Teachers' Pension Scheme after a break of more than 5 years, any service during that period in another public service scheme may mean that they retain previously held protections or, in the case of returners, their Salary Link in the Teachers' Pension Scheme.

New joiners who were protected in their previous scheme may qualify for protection in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and have a right to enter the Final Salary rather than the Career Average arrangement.

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. As salaries generally increase over the course of a career the Salary Link is something worth retaining. 

If you have a member of staff new to teaching but joining from other public service or someone returning to teaching after a break of more than 5 years, but who spent some or all of that period in pensionable public service, please inform them they need to complete the Joiner Questionnaire (This link opens in a new window). They’ll then need to ask their previous scheme to complete their details before sending them to us. We'll then check and if they qualify we'll re-establish the Salary Link between their future service and their final salary benefits. A copy of the new joiner form can be found here (This link opens in a new window).