Where have my pension contributions gone?

charlibish

I have been paying into the Teachers Pension Scheme for a number of years. However, at 2 points in my career, I have had a full time school teaching job and a second part time hourly paid teaching job in a college. The 2 colleges I have done this for have taken pension contributions out of my pay, but these have not gone into my TPS. When I spoke to the TPS they said you cannot add contributions from a 2nd teaching job (over and above a full time job). When I have spoken to the colleges in question, they said they dont know where the money went and said they will look into it but then never got back to me. Where has the money gone if it was taken from my wages but hasn't gone to my pension contributions? How do I claim it back?
Thanks.

GunJack

charlibish wrote: »

I have been paying into the Teachers Pension Scheme for a number of years. However, at 2 points in my career, I have had a full time school teaching job and a second part time hourly paid teaching job in a college. The 2 colleges I have done this for have taken pension contributions out of my pay, but these have not gone into my TPS. When I spoke to the TPS they said you cannot add contributions from a 2nd teaching job (over and above a full time job). When I have spoken to the colleges in question, they said they dont know where the money went and said they will look into it but then never got back to me. Where has the money gone if it was taken from my wages but hasn't gone to my pension contributions? How do I claim it back?
Thanks.

Were the college contributions going towards USS or LGPS rather than the TPS?? You need to chase this up with the employing college and possibly the other schemes direct.

kidmugsy

If you've kept your payslips so that you can prove your point about their having taken the contributions, then it sounds to me that your two colleges are potentially guilty of fraud or theft. How could they not know that people in your position were not allowed to contribute more to TPS?

I suppose you could write to them pointing out that you'd rather not involve the police, but suggesting that they pull their fingers out and return your money to you, with interest.

"Not knowing where the money went" is irrelevant; they took it, they must return it.

EDIT: If, as GunJack suggests, the money was paid into a different pension scheme, then how could they conceivably not know that? Why would they fail to explain it rather than giving you the brush off?

GunJack

kidmugsy wrote: »

EDIT: If, as GunJack suggests, the money was paid into a different pension scheme, then how could they conceivably not know that? Why would they fail to explain it rather than giving you the brush off?

I suspect it could be quite easy, if the only people the OP spoke to were low-level admin types rather than payroll/pension people. If the payslip just lists it as a "pension" deduction rather than naming the scheme, without talking to the right person in the college it may not be clear which scheme it went to.

Silvertabby

GunJack wrote: »

I suspect it could be quite easy, if the only people the OP spoke to were low-level admin types rather than payroll/pension people. If the payslip just lists it as a "pension" deduction rather than naming the scheme, without talking to the right person in the college it may not be clear which scheme it went to.

I would have expected the paylips to specify LGPS or USS (or even TPS) pension deductions. If they don't, then payroll must know which pension scheme they have allocated the pension contributions to.

macman

Speaking to the colleges 'who never got back to me' is not sufficient. You need to write to the principal in each case setting out all the details,and insist on a response by a set date.
What were the approx periods in question? Does this go back years, or decades?

charlibish

Thanks everyone. This only dates back to early 2000's so not too far back. Funny how one finance person I spoke to said "we don't have records going THAT far back!" My payslips definitely say it was paid into the TPS so I will take your advice and write to the Principals to get it sorted.

Silvertabby

charlibish wrote: »

Thanks everyone. This only dates back to early 2000's so not too far back. Funny how one finance person I spoke to said "we don't have records going THAT far back!" My payslips definitely say it was paid into the TPS so I will take your advice and write to the Principals to get it sorted.

I'm surprised TPS didn't pick it up on their year end reports. Can only guess that they assumed that the extra payments came from your main employer.

Note - if the Principals tell you that TPS must refund this money THEY ARE WRONG.

The college must sort this out - they will have to refund you your pension contributions, sort out your tax (and NI if applicable) and then recover the erroneous payments from TPS.

Sobraon

Although TPS admin are good they are not perfect. Get everything in writing from them - confirm everything via MyPension Online at the TPS.

There has been a fairly recent tribunal where a member of staff had come unstuck with TPS after relying on advice from a senior manager in the payroll dept. The college argued at the tribunal that this was 'informal advice' and could not be relied on by the staff member (they got away with it!).

If the 2 part time college jobs can’t count for 'service' then I suggest you negotiate for the college(s) to pay sufficient into the TPS to put you in the same position as the service element from the college would have done. They might use the TPS 'Additional Pension' route - IYSWIM.

If you are in a union a call to the legal services department at this point may be appropriate. Remember in the early 2000s the employer’s contribution to the TPS was 'equivalent' to something like 20-25% of pay.

LHW99

Also check in the TPS online whether your service in these colleges has been recorded. If it hasn't this may be an indication of where the problem has come from.

Dox

kidmugsy wrote: »

it sounds to me that your two colleges are potentially guilty of fraud or theft.

I suppose you could write to them pointing out that you'd rather not involve the police, but suggesting that they pull their fingers out and return your money to you, with interest.

Get a grip - they've made an admin error. A substantial one, but to start banging on about fraud, theft and involving the police is absurd.

OP - if you need help to sort this out, TPAS is the place to go for free, impartial assistance: https://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk