Employers Pension Fund

Teachers' Pension Schemes

Three individual Teachers’ Pensions Schemes current operate in the UK. These are:

• the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) in England and Wales
• the Northern Ireland Teachers Pension Scheme (NITPS)
• the Scottish Teachers’ Superannuation Scheme (STSS)

In UK HEIs the majority of individual members are academic staff who work in the post-92 universities and HE colleges.

They are contributory schemes administered by Teachers' Pensions (TP) on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in England and Wales, by Teachers' Pensions Branch (TPB) on behalf of the Department of Education in Northern Ireland and by The Scottish Public Pensions Agency on behalf of the Scottish Ministers.  

They are defined benefit ‘final salary' schemes and are “one of the most important and valuable benefits available to teachers”. They not only provide a lump sum and regular income after retirement but also provide family or other dependants with financial protection in the event of a member’s death. Benefits at all 3 schemes are index-linked under the Pensions Increase Act.

For more details on each of the schemes, use the links above.

Scheme Changes

The Government consultation on changes to the TPS was launched on 27 July 2011. For more information visit the Government Consultations section of the EPF website.