Can we please remind you when completing your Monthly Data Collection (MDC) submissions that if a member leaves your school, you need to include a withdrawal ‘w’ indicator in the relevant MDC submission.

Leavers must be included using the ‘w’ indicator and the ‘end date’ field to indicate that the member has left the establishment and the date it occurred.

It must not be used if the member is simply opting out but remaining in employment at your establishment.

We’ve recently had a rise in Independent Schools leaving the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and as a duty of care to newly deferred members of the Scheme, we issue communications explaining what their establishment leaving the Scheme will mean for them.

If you’re an Independent school leaving the Scheme please ensure you apply the ‘w’ indicator for all members. If you have former staff for whom you haven’t provided the “w” indicator in the past, please ensure that you update their record with the indicator for the last line of their pensionable service in your employment.

As you can imagine, this causes confusion and undue stress to some members receiving these communications from us, which is easily preventable through the use of the “w” indicator.