Calling any teachers out there who have worked as a Supply Teacher

[buildersmate]

Mrs Buildersmate worked for several months as a Supply Teacher in the 1990s. This is work for the LEA where one gets paid only on the days/weeks one gets called in and the daily rate was higher because there is no holiday payments. But is this work counted as pensionable? The Teachers Pension Service (TPS) that now administer all public-sector teaching pension administration seem incapable of answering this. Any teacher out there with knowledge, please?

[Machecoul]

Is she now working for an LEA? If so can their HR department help?

Did she pay superannuation etc?

Is she in a union? They will help or might have something on their websites.

[Snowy Owl]

Hi buildersmate.....I did the same, five years supply in the 80s/90s and got my pension this time last year. I'll have a look at the details that I've got tomorrow and see if I can work it out and get back to you. I suspect that Machecoul is on the right lines re superan as I think that i was advised to stop paying it because of the chunk that it would take out.

Surprised that TPS are being less than helpful as I found just the opposite when it came to sorting mine.

[Snowy Owl]

Hi again buildersmate...

Have just looked at the bumf that I got relating to my pension and the only thing that I can find is this quote...

WHAT SERVICE IS USED IN THE CALCULATION OF RETIREMENT BENEFITS......Part time/supply service...this can only be pensionable if a teacher has made a valid election for part time/supply service to be treated as such.

I've looked on the TPS website and things seem to have changed as of Jan 2007 for NEW entrants. So, suggest that your OH gets in touch with TPS and asks them to give her an estimation of what her pension will be. From this she will be able to see how many years and days are taken into consideration as of now. I think there is an option to add to contributions, but it wasn't something I did.

Hope this helps.

[buildersmate]

Thanks for checking it out. I suspect you are right - one has to opt in, not 'one is in it unless one opts out'. We are very clear that TPS records do not show this Supply Teaching service - its the only bit missing. The county council for which the work was done was dissolved to be replaced by Unitary Councils - which is why there's no point in talking to the unitary authority HR people.