Pensions and Benefits
Scottish Teachers Pension Scheme - Quick Guide
Last Updated: 30/06/2025Teachers’ Pension Access to a comprehensive pension scheme is a valuable benefit of being a teacher in Scotland. Members are not only saving for retirement but also covered for benefits in the event of being permanently unable to work or death in-service, and provide benefits to dependants. New members are enrolled automatically from the start...
Teachers Pension Scheme - Useful Information
Last Updated: 30/06/2025For the Teachers’ Pension your first port of call should be the SPPA Website. This is quite a large website and can seem quite daunting to navigate. However, here are some of the most useful Links: You may also want to contact the SPPA directly. The best email address is sppacontactus@gov.scot . If you do contact them by...
Actuarially Reduced Pension
Last Updated: 30/06/2025Q.1 Is there any information I need before even thinking about Actuarially Reduced Pension? Yes. It is better if you understand a little about the basic Teachers' Superannuation Scheme (especially how pension and lump sum are calculated). It may be best if you take some independent financial advice about what options are best for you....
Additional Pension
Last Updated: 30/06/2025My pension arrangements in the teachers' Scheme seem fairly adequate but is there any way I could improve them? Yes. Under the new arrangements members are able to buy, prior to reaching their normal retirement age, additional annual pension of up to £6,500 in the NPA60 scheme and up to £7,000 in the CARE scheme...
Pensions For New Entrants
Last Updated: 30/06/2025Guidance for members entering teaching after 31 March 2015 A new scheme has been introduced which is termed a Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) scheme. This means that you will earn 1/57 of your pensionable pay for each year you are a member of the scheme. So to work out how much pension you will...
Phased Retirement
Last Updated: 30/06/2025For teachers whose normal pensionable age is 60 (NPA 60 members) The regulations relating to phased retirement were introduced in 2007 as part of the major review of the Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme (STSS). Although the provision allows teachers to access part of their retiral benefits before the normal pensionable age of 60, this does...
Taking Additional Lump Sum (Commutation)
Last Updated: 30/06/2025From 1 April 2007 the new pension arrangements allow greater scope to a take a higher tax-free lump sum and a lower level of pension. The worked example below explains the new regulations. The calculation assumes: Normal Pension Age 60 Years of service 33 Final Salary £37,000 Rules of Commutation As a generality, a teacher...
