Teachers pension for surviving spouse question

property.advert

In 2008 a retired teacher died and her spouse was expecting to receive 50% of her pension as she would have received 50% of his local government pension. However, he is currently receiving only about 15% of the spouse's pension before she died. He cannot understand why he is not receiving 50% of his late wife's pension but he cannot make sense of the tirade of conflicting information given by the pension providers.

Quite simply, his wife worked about 15 years in one school and moved to a school in another local authority where she took up the position of deputy head. She worked there for about another 15 years before taking early retirement.

The surviving spouse says that he receives only small amounts from two different sources. I presume these to be the respective local authorities. I do not understand why it is not calculated as one amount and why there was not a transfer from the first authority to the second.

I want to help but I will not have access to all the information. Due to ill health, I cannot press the surviving spouse too much. I am hoping someone here can throw some light on the situation and perhaps answer the following questions.

1) For a teacher retiring in around 1995, what were the usual surviving spouse pension arrangements ?

2) Does anyone have experience of a teacher moving counties and how their pension arrangements were handled ?

3) Do you think the move to a management deputy head position could have triggered different pension arrangements ?

4) Any other facts which you think might be useful. Thanks.

Oldernotwiser

I can't answer your specific questions but I do know that service before 1972 doesn't count towards the widows pension unless you opted in to it at the time of marriage.

I believe that many teacher's widows aren't aware of this fact and expect to get 50% of the whole pension.

property.advert

The specifics are that the wife was a teacher before they married in 1961 and she retired in around 1995 and died in 2008.

The survivor is the widower, the husband.

I am beginning to wonder also whether there was not a provision for widows which was not given to widowers.

Sobraon

Don't know about the teachers scheme but Police pensions until about '92 didn't provide a pension for widowers and dependents of female officers (male officers paid higher contributions). DW shelled out about £1800 to 'buy back' the period so that I and the kids were covered.

Oldernotwiser

I've just looked at the TPA website

http://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/pensioners/pensioners_faqs.htm

and for a widower only service from 1988 counts for family benefits This would mean that he would only receive 50% of 7 years service , ie 7/40 x 50%

property.advert

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I've just looked at the TPA website

http://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/pensioners/pensioners_faqs.htm

and for a widower only service from 1988 counts for family benefits This would mean that he would only receive 50% of 7 years service , ie 7/40 x 50%

That is starting to look like it. I understand she was short of 40 years and with the already commuted pension (circa 35 years), the percentages come close.

Seems he was robbed by the system. Or she was. Either way, he is several hundred pounds a month worse off than he thought he would be and should be.

Thanks for your help but that seems to be the answer wrapped up.

jem16

property.advert wrote: »

That is starting to look like it. I understand she was short of 40 years and with the already commuted pension (circa 35 years), the percentages come close.

Did she take an offer of an early retirement package with any enhanced years?

If so that would explain the pension coming from two different sources. The main part of the scheme would be paid from the pension agency with the enhancement paid by the local authority.

property.advert

jem16 wrote: »

Did she take an offer of an early retirement package with any enhanced years?

If so that would explain the pension coming from two different sources. The main part of the scheme would be paid from the pension agency with the enhancement paid by the local authority.

I am not sure. I was under the impression that it happened rather quickly and her frame of mind was not as clear as it should have been. She certainly did not get enhancement to full pension I do know and I think her desire to retire rather clouded her judgement at the time.

The amounts received are in the approximate percentages: 40% / 60% which may accurately reflect her working years for the different local authorities. It would also be the split between her being a teacher and a deputy head. The distinction may well be at the teacher / managerial level as well as the local authority level.