Part-time and casual teachers exercise
We recently wrote to you regarding your possible eligibility for the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.
The purpose of the recent communication is to provide you with the most up-to-date information we have on your case.
We have now established the periods of your eligibility of the scheme which are not on your record and have calculated the backdated contributions which would be due by you and your employer if you elect to have the missing service added to your record.
Please complete the election form contained within the letter and return it to Office Services, County Hall, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1RG.
You can email us any queries at TeachersPensions.Enrolment@westsussex.gov.uk which is noted in your letter.
Until 1 January 2007, part-time and casual teachers were eligible to join the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) but needed to opt-in to do so (for instance, request to join the scheme).
However, any teacher beginning a new role/employment, or whose contract changed after 1 January 2007 should have automatically joined the scheme when that role/employment began. If they did not want to be a member of the scheme, the teacher would have had to opt-out (for instance, choose not to be in the scheme).
In line with the Pensions Act 2008, further legislative requirements came into force in 2012, which meant that 'eligible jobholders' needed to be automatically enrolled in a pension scheme. This meant that any eligible teachers who were not members of the TPS, should have been enrolled at the relevant date. These 'relevant dates' were also known as auto-enrolment 'staging dates' and were specific to each employer.
If a member did not want to participate in the TPS they would have been enrolled, and then given the option to opt-out of the TPS.
We are now aware that some teachers, who worked part-time or on a casual contract, do not appear to have been enrolled in the TPS correctly. We have been working with Hymans Robertson to carry out a piece of reconciliation work and they will be shortly contacting those who may be affected.
If you receive contact from Hymans Robertson on our behalf with regards to this project, please be assured that this is a legitimate contact, and we would ask that you respond accordingly to any request within it.
The Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) is administered centrally by Teachers' Pensions.
Access the Teachers' Pensions website and your account (external link)Enquiries
- If you're a teacher leaving due to early retirement or redundancy please contact your employer or Teachers' Pensions.
- To enquire about your contributions or service history phone 01243 642148 and select option 1.
- For all other queries contact Teachers' Pensions.
Teachers' Pension Scheme discretions
There are some areas of the TPS where employers can decide whether to use their discretion. In West Sussex this is determined through West Sussex County Council's Employer Discretions Policy.
The policy applies to all employees of the County Council employed in West Sussex maintained schools who are members of, or eligible to join, the TPS.