PENSION CHANGES 2007 - ADVICE LEAFLETS

The Association has produced a series of advice leaflets regarding the proposed revision to teachers' pensions. The leaflets addresses the effects of the proposals, including specific advice for certain groups of member for whom there are particular issues. The leaflets can be found here.

TEACHERS' PENSIONS - OUTCOME OF NEGITIOATIONS

To view the outline points of the recommendation of changes to the Teachers Pension Scheme click here.

The view the full recommendations by the DfES click here.

PENSION CHANGES 2007 - ADVICE LEAFLETS

The Association has produced a series of advice leaflets regarding the proposed revision to teachers' pensions. The leaflets addresses the effects of the proposals, including specific advice for certain groups of member for whom there are particular issues. The leaflets can be found here

PROPOSED REVISIONS TO TEACHERS'PENSIONS

The nature of these proposals is almost identical to the detail which was outlined at Congress in May, and which has been discussed and approved by Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee.

As a result, the advice of the Association is currently to recommend the proposals. Council will have the opportunity to hear a report on this on Saturday 7 October and to approve a course of action. You will hear further details of this after Council has met.During coming months, there will be a variety of initiatives by the Association to alert members to the impact of the proposed changes, and I will contact you soon with regard to these.

Further advice as regards the effects of the proposals will follow in due course, including specific advice for certain groups of member for whom there are particular issues to address.

For the moment, encouraging responses to the formal Consultation is the priority. The Consultation and the response form can be found on the SPPA website http://www.sppa.gov.uk/pension_reform/teachers.htm. The closing date for responses is the 5th

January 2007.

A summary of the proposals can viewed here.

4 October 2006

PENSION UPDATE - 26 OCTOBER 2005The General Secretary today issued a letter to members regarding the considerable progress that has been made on the future of teachers' pensions following recent talks in London.You can view the General Secretary's letter and the "Framework Principles" here.The Association will be asked to ratify the principles on 8 November in London. Our Salaries Committee will meet on 4 November to determine our stance.Your opportunity to express your views about this is now. You can express your thoughts by e-mail to pensionsforum@ssta.org.uk anytime from now until 10.00 am on Friday 4 November. All views will be considered by our Salaries Committee at its meeting on that date. Please take this opportunity to respond now.

KEY POINTS

• Government proposal to raise minimum pension age from 60 to 65.

• From 2006 all new entrants would be on the 65 retirement age.

• For teachers currently in service under age 50 (today) each year worked from 2013 will only “pay out” at age 65. Years already worked by 2013 will still be payable at 60.

4 examples.

Teacher A - Age 50 (2003)

In 2013 (age 60) pension = 35/80 (100% of pension)

Teacher B - Age 40 (2003)

Further service to retirement = 10 yearsIn 2023 (age 60) pension = 25/80 (71% of pension)

Remaining 10/80 not payable until 2028 (29% of pension)

Teacher C - Age 30 (2003)

Further service to retirement = 20 yearsIn 2033 (age 60) pension = 15/80 (42% of pension)

Remaining 20/80 not payable until 2038 (57% of pension)

Teacher D - Age 25 (2003)

Further service to retirement = 35 yearsIn 2038 (age 60) pension = 10/80 (29% of pension)

Remaining 25/80 not payable until 2043 (71% of pension)

Teacher E - Age 25 (2006)

All pension not payable until Age 65 (2046) (100% of pension)Will adversely affect

Leave pension age at 60

The Association seeks the help of its members, and indeed any concerned teachers, to protest to MPs and MSPs about the Government proposals to increase the pension age from 60 to 65.

The Association urges its members to write to their MP and MSP, and a sample letter and "key points" guide are available for download below. Whilst simply downloading the sample letter and sending this off would be good, it would be much more helpful for members to use the "key points" to compose their own letter. Such a letter will impact much more on an MP/MSP than a "copy letter" will.

A sample is available for download below as  are the  key points. To download right click on the link and select "Save Target as".

Sample letter Word Format (.doc); Text File (.txt)

"IT'S YOUR MONEY" CAMPAIGN

The Association seeks the help of its members, and indeed any concerned teachers, to protest to MPs and MSPs about the Government proposals to increase the pension age from 60 to 65.

The Association urges its members to write to their MP and MSP, and a sample letter and "key points" guide are available for download from this page.

STUC PENSION RALLY, SATURDAY 19 JUNE 2004

Members of SSTA lent their support to the STUC Pensions Rally on Saturday 19 June in Edinburgh. They came from various districts of Scotland to brave the very wet and windy conditions in Edinburgh that day to show the Association's determination to support this cause.

The DFES have published details of the proposed changes the to the Teachers Pension Scheme. on their website. Further detail will be given in due course.

MODERNISATION OF THE TEACHERS' PENSION SCHEME (TPS):

A PROGRESS REPORT ”” JULY 2004

Over the last six months or so, a considerable amount of progress has been made on the review of the TPS. Many aspects of the Scheme have been examined by the Teachers' Pension Review Group (made up of representatives from DfES, the Government Actuary's Department, teacher unions and employer associations as well as opposite numbers covering the Scottish and Northern Ireland teachers' schemes). The TPRG have now reached the point where there is sufficient clarity about a number of options for moving forward to enable a progress report to be made available to Scheme members.

For the full text of the progress report a can be viewed at the TeacherNet website