Using your My Pension Online account you’re able to check your Benefit Statement and your service history. As we receive service information from your employer each month, we recommend you check on a regular basis to ensure everything is up to date.

If, on your record there are any ‘service gaps’ that don’t make sense, go to the Employment History page on MPO where you can look at a more detailed version of the service we hold for you. Gaps may be due to work that was non-pensionable or periods when you opted-out of the Scheme.

If that isn’t the case the gaps could be because the details haven’t been provided correctly to us, known as ‘non submitted service’. For these you’ll need to speak to the relevant employer for that service period and ask them to update your record accordingly. This will then be reflected on your service history and Benefit Statement.

Queries with your service history

Your reckonable service is any service that counts towards your benefits. It can include service from pensionable employment, any additional service previously purchased, and any service transferred into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme from another pension scheme.

It’s vitally important to check that your service details are correct as any errors may be time-consuming to rectify at a later date, resulting in delays or under-payment or over-payment of pension benefits. If there are any errors please contact the relevant employer(s) and ask them to notify us of the correction. Errors can only be rectified by employers; Teachers’ Pensions cannot directly alter service records without employer authorisation.

If the employer does not hold the records, we recommend that you provide them with a copy of your payslips from the period.

Once this has been received from HMRC, this must be sent to the employer to assist them in correcting any missing historic service. Once the employer has updated their service records for you, any adjustments will be sent to Teachers’ Pensions.

If your employer no longer exists

If the employer no longer holds historic service or has closed / merged, the following information will need to be sent onto the relevant Local Authority directly:

• Your payslips from that time period (we require the payslips rather than the P60).

If the school was an Independent school which is now closed, the above information can be sent directly to Teachers' Pensions. Please note this is the only instance in which Teachers' Pensions will be able to receive this information directly from the member.

It’s important to make sure you check for any service gaps, so that these can be updated as soon as possible. Please note that we seek to undertake a thorough check prior to every member retirement which includes going back to the employers where there is any teaching service gaps.