Teacher Pension entitlement for spouse on death - mistake?

oliel

Wife had a teachers pension retired in 1998 and recently died.  I understood I was entitled to 50% of her pension on death - she worked for 18 years and took 4 years out when we had kids.   She later topped up her pension for the 4 years she was out - and her pension letter states figure is based on 22 years.  I have just had a calculation from then showing what I am entitled to on her death but is based on 18 years not 22.  I am thinking this is incorrect?  The Teachers pension paid was in England.  

Keep_pedalling

Based on this document people can buy additional years either to cover just themselves or themselves and their partner, so maybe she opted for the former.

https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/-/media/documents/member/factsheets/managing-your-pension/additional-pension-factsheet.ashx?rev=c03a8504f3714edfb5cdfb4721e66107&hash=B28BFD5A075FCB019506A1174F35A158

Cotrelone37

Teachers' Service could be bought through the Past Added Years scheme prior to April 2007 not through Additional Pension. Assuming that your wife was full time throughout her career (i.e. her reckonable service equalled her pensionable service) then you would qualify for full family benefits (one halff) at that time. If she was part time the family benefits would be reduced pro-rata