A pension provides for an income in retirement. Throughout your teaching career you are making contributions to a pension scheme and building up an entitlement to a pension. When you retire from teaching, you will draw down this pension to fund your retirement. Along with your pension from teaching, you will also be relying on the State Contributory pension in retirement.
How many pension schemes are there?
There are currently three different pension schemes for primary teachers. Each of the schemes contain different terms and conditions attached to them.
How do I know which pension scheme I am in?
The pension scheme applicable to you depends on when you entered the teaching profession or public service and whether you had a break in your service of 26 weeks (6 months) or more. If you had a break in service you move to the newest pension scheme at that time from that point in your service on.
- The Old Entrant Pension Scheme – teachers who began teaching up to 1 April 2004 joined this scheme.
- The New Entrant Pension Scheme – teachers who began teaching between 1 April 2004 to 1 January 2013 joined this scheme.
- The Single Public Service Pension – teachers who began teaching from 1 January 2013 – to the present date are members of this scheme.
What is a break in service for pension purposes?
A break in service is where for a teacher has resigned and was out of employment/contract (or working as a substitute teacher) and did not work for 26 weeks (6 months) or more. Any approved leave of absence is not a break in service, i.e. career break, maternity, parental, carer’s leave, sick leave etc.
Want to find out more?
The various sections and FAQs below aim to provide you with relevant information about your pension scheme, provide you with estimates of your pension and lumpsum and outlines how you can go about increasing your pension pot and financial provision in advance of your retirement.
