Teachers pensions scheme death benefits

TeachersPensionNovice

Sadly, my father recently died. He was a teacher and member of the teachers pensions scheme from 1954 until 1982. His pension was 28/80 of his final salary. We are trying to work out what my mother's pension entitlement will be. Looking at the teacher's pension website it looks like my mother only earned pension rights from 1972. That would be 10/160 of my fathers final salary. Can that be true? Is it possible that my father earned no bereavement rights for the period 1954 until 1972 of his membership? We are waiting for the calculation from the Teacher's Pension Scheme, but that will take 20 days.

Silvertabby

TeachersPensionNovice said:

Sadly, my father recently died. He was a teacher and member of the teachers pensions scheme from 1954 until 1982. His pension was 28/80 of his final salary. We are trying to work out what my mother's pension entitlement will be. Looking at the teacher's pension website it looks like my mother only earned pension rights from 1972. That would be 10/160 of my fathers final salary. Can that be true? Is it possible that my father earned no bereavement rights for the period 1954 until 1972 of his membership? We are waiting for the calculation from the Teacher's Pension Scheme, but that will take 20 days.

My sympathies to you all.

It all depends on when your parents married.  If it was before he left teaching, in 1982, then all of his service could count towards his widow's pension (add: unless perhaps your father opted to pay reduced contributions pre 1972?).

However, did they marry after 1982?  If so, then the post retirement marriage rules come into play, in that only service from 1978 (when the rules changed) count towards your mum's pension.

The post retirement marriage rules were contested some years ago - by a group of Armed Forces/Police widows if my memory is correct - but they didn't get anywhere. 

Marcon

TeachersPensionNovice said:

Sadly, my father recently died. He was a teacher and member of the teachers pensions scheme from 1954 until 1982. His pension was 28/80 of his final salary. We are trying to work out what my mother's pension entitlement will be. Looking at the teacher's pension website it looks like my mother only earned pension rights from 1972. That would be 10/160 of my fathers final salary. Can that be true? Is it possible that my father earned no bereavement rights for the period 1954 until 1972 of his membership? We are waiting for the calculation from the Teacher's Pension Scheme, but that will take 20 days.

If your father left active membership of the TPS in 1982, and has died recently, that's a period of 40 years - which suggests he either took early retirement or possibly had other employment from 1982. If the latter, have you checked if he has other pension benefits from which your mother might benefit?

TeachersPensionNovice

Thanks for the replies. My father married my mother in 1960, so we might be in luck. Yes, he did retire early and he had other jobs, but none with pensions.

Silvertabby

Marcon said:

TeachersPensionNovice said:

Sadly, my father recently died. He was a teacher and member of the teachers pensions scheme from 1954 until 1982. His pension was 28/80 of his final salary. We are trying to work out what my mother's pension entitlement will be. Looking at the teacher's pension website it looks like my mother only earned pension rights from 1972. That would be 10/160 of my fathers final salary. Can that be true? Is it possible that my father earned no bereavement rights for the period 1954 until 1972 of his membership? We are waiting for the calculation from the Teacher's Pension Scheme, but that will take 20 days.

If your father left active membership of the TPS in 1982, and has died recently, that's a period of 40 years - which suggests he either took early retirement or possibly had other employment from 1982. If the latter, have you checked if he has other pension benefits from which your mother might benefit?

Good point, but as he had qualified as a teacher by 1954 he must have been born in the very early 1930s.  If his date of birth was 1932, then he would have been 50 in 1982 - which falls into 'normal retirement' territory. 

We are back to the pre/post retirement question.

TeachersPensionNovice

This is what the Teacher's Pension Website" says:

"Adult survivors of marriages and civil partnerships, whether same-sex or opposite-sex, will receive survivor benefits in relation to service from 1 April 1972 or, 6 April 1978 if the marriage was after the last day of pensionable service."

So I'm still a bit fearful that my mother's pension is only calculated from 1972. The post marriage rule moves the calculation to 1978 from 1972, so it still sounds like my father was only accruing death benefits from 1972, which seems unfair.

Marcon

TeachersPensionNovice said:

This is what the Teacher's Pension Website" says:

"Adult survivors of marriages and civil partnerships, whether same-sex or opposite-sex, will receive survivor benefits in relation to service from 1 April 1972 or, 6 April 1978 if the marriage was after the last day of pensionable service."

So I'm still a bit fearful that my mother's pension is only calculated from 1972. The post marriage rule moves the calculation to 1978 from 1972, so it still sounds like my father was only accruing death benefits from 1972, which seems unfair.

I've just had a wander round on the TPS website and everything I found does make it look as if your mother's pension will be based on service from 1972. 

Silvertabby said:

TeachersPensionNovice said:

Sadly, my father recently died. He was a teacher and member of the teachers pensions scheme from 1954 until 1982. His pension was 28/80 of his final salary. We are trying to work out what my mother's pension entitlement will be. Looking at the teacher's pension website it looks like my mother only earned pension rights from 1972. That would be 10/160 of my fathers final salary. Can that be true? Is it possible that my father earned no bereavement rights for the period 1954 until 1972 of his membership? We are waiting for the calculation from the Teacher's Pension Scheme, but that will take 20 days.

My sympathies to you all.

It all depends on when your parents married.  If it was before he left teaching, in 1982, then all of his service could count towards his widow's pension (add: unless perhaps your father opted to pay reduced contributions pre 1972?).

Silvertabby - is this comment based on the assumption that TPS is similar to some other public sector schemes, or have you come across other members of the TPS who have had survivors' benefits based on full service? I couldn't find anything on the TPS website to suggest that might be the case, but I'd love to be wrong.

Markneath

I think he had the option to pay an extra 2% prior to 1972 in order to get your mum a widow’s pension. 

The standard contribution was 6% the pension with widows benefit was 8%.

Silvertabby

Yet another example of the differences between the TPS and the LGPS.  Not that it's any consolation, but the LGPS would pay a (reduced) widow's benefit on pre 1972 service  if the member hadn't opted to pay the additional contributions.  

TeachersPensionNovice

The LGPS also replies to queries A LOT quicker than the TPS. We already know my mother will get 50% of that pension so my father must have paid the additional contributions. Hopefully, he will have paid the additional contributions to the TPS too. Time will tell. Thank you all so much for your replies.