Changes to the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Pension Scheme

NITPS modernisation

Drivers for Change Pensions Green Paper and Tax Reform. Cost of increased life expectancy. Increased Minimum Retirement Age 55

& Normal Pension Age 65. Extending Working Lives. Flexibility and retaining experience. Overdue scheme improvements.

Agreed package of reforms – new entrants

Provisions for NEW ENTRANTS from 1 April 2007 will include:+ Normal Pension Age (NPA) of 65+ Minimum Retirement Age of 55. except on

grounds of ill health.+ Pension based on 1/60th of salary for each year

of pensionable service with the flexible option to take up to 25% of ‘fund value’ after commutation as a tax-free lump sum by surrendering £1 of annual pension for £12 of lump sum.

Agreed package of reforms – new entrants (cont’d)

The better of the last year’s salary or the ‘re-valued (in line with RPI) average of the best three consecutive years’ salary in the last ten years of service to be used for calculating benefits at retirement.

A facility to purchase up to £5,000 of added annual pension.

A death grant of three times salary.

Agreed package of reforms – new entrants (cont’d)

Automatic part-time membership. Dependants’ benefits payable to

unmarried partners. Spouses’ and nominated partners’

pensions paid for life. Revised ill-health retirement package –

tiered approach with a higher level of benefits for total incapacity, lower level for partial incapacity.

Agreed package of reforms – new entrants (cont’d)

Phased retirement arrangements. These would enable NITPS members, under defined circumstances, to continue working as a teacher within the NITPS while drawing down some of their accrued pensions benefits.

Actuarial enhancement for those who continue in work beyond NPA 65 without accessing their pension benefits.

Actuarial Reduced Benefits.

Agreed package of reforms – new entrants (cont’d)

EXISTING MEMBERS will retain NPA of 60 and the current arrangements will be modified and improved in the following ways:

Minimum Retirement Age of 55 by 2010, except on grounds of ill health.

Automatic part-time membership – change in contract.

Dependants’ benefits payable to unmarried partners.

Spouses’ and nominated partners’ pensions paid for life.

Agreed package of reforms – new entrants (cont’d) The better of the last year’s salary or the ‘re-

valued (in line with the RPI) average of the best three consecutive years’ salary in the last ten years of service’ to be used for calculating benefits at retirement.

Revised ill-health retirement package – tiered approach with a higher level of benefits for total incapacity, lower level for partial incapacity.

More scope to take a higher tax-free lump sum and a lower level of pension.

A facility to purchase up to £5,000 of added annual pension.

Agreed package of reforms – new entrants (cont’d)

An increase in the death grant to three times salary.

Phased retirement arrangements. These will enable NITPS members, under defined circumstances, to continue working as a teacher within the NITPS while drawing down some of their accrued pension benefits.

Actuarial Reduced Benefits.

New entrant?

No pensionable service before 1 April 2007. Retention of NPA 60 arrangements would be

restricted to those who return after a break in pensionable employment of no more than five years.

Those who return after a longer break would be subject to a pension age of 65 in respect of their future service. Accrued benefits would still be payable in full from age 60.

New entrant? (cont’d)

Transitional protection for those currently out of service – protection for those who return to teaching by 31 March 2008 regardless of the length of the break in their service. Thereafter the five year limit would apply to any subsequent break in service.

There will be a minimum period of scheme membership that must be undertaken after a break in pensionable service.

Normal pension age protection

Automatic part-time

Current situation is that part-time members need to elect to join the NITPS.

With effect from 1 April 2007, new appointees will automatically be in the NITPS.

Existing teachers who start on a new contract after 1 April 2007, will automatically be in the NITPS.

Automatic part-time (cont’d)

Anyone in non pensionable part-time employment on 1 April 2007, will remain in non pensionable employment unless they make a part-time election.

Part-time members who do not wish to be in the NITPS will need to opt out, signing a declaration confirming they understand the consequences.

No retrospection after 1 April 2007 to achieve existing member status.

Average salary

From 1 April 2007, the calculation of pension benefits will be based on the better of the salary in the last year, or the average of the best three consecutive years (re-valued in line with RPI) in the last ten years.

‘Stepping Down’ arrangements will become obsolete under this approach and will be discontinued from 1 April 2007 (existing elections will be honoured).

Average salary (cont’d)

A 10% cap on any salary increase in each of the last three years of service will be introduced if the last year is the best year.

Transitional arrangements will be put in place.

Ill-health benefits From 1 April 2007, there will be a new

two tier ill-health retirement provision applying to both existing and new members.- Upper Tier – “Total incapacity benefit” (TIB): with enhancement of one half of prospective service to a member’s NPA (60 or 65)- Lower Tier – “Partial incapacity benefit” (PIB): based on accrued benefits without any enhancement.

No actuarial reduction will be applied.

Ill-health benefits (cont’d)

Must be permanently unfit for teaching duties in both cases.

The NITPS will take advice from Medical Advisors on a member’s ability to work. Two tiers of pension may be paid: Upper Tier, for those incapable of teaching

and any other “gainful employment”. Lower Tier, for those permanently incapable

of teaching, but capable of a range of other types of work.

Ill-health benefits (cont’d) Deferred members will qualify for lower

tier benefits if they develop a condition preventing them from undertaking any gainful employment.

For lower tier, pensioners would be free to undertake any work outside teaching and remain entitled to PIB.

Only TIB cases will need to be reviewed if re-employed.

Disputes will be handled as currently (appeals process).

Phased retirement ‘Reduced capacity’ will require a

minimum drop in pensionable income of 25% lasting for at least 12 months.

You will be allowed to draw down on your pension on two separate occasions up to a maximum of 75% of benefits before ‘retirement’.

Benefits taken before NPA would be subject to actuarial reduction.

No qualifying period will be needed in respect of further service.

Phased retirement (cont’d)

No abatement on pension drawdown where payments have been actuarially reduced.

Time periods for elections and finding new post.

Benefits from residual service can be taken later as a deferred payment or can be combined with future service.

Added pension

From 1 April 2007, it will not be possible to buy additional service in the NITPS either by PAY or CAY. Existing contracts with start dates before 1 April will be honoured.

Members will instead be able to elect to pay contributions, which will result in and additional pension in minimum £250 blocks up to a maximum of £5,000 per annum. This additional pension will be subject to PI.

Survivor partner benefits Survivor partner benefits will be available

for service from 1 April 2007, in respect of unmarried and unregistered partnerships.

Various conditions. The member must: Have lived with the partner for two years Be able to marry or enter a civil partnership Be financial interdependent e.g. share

household spending, have joint bank account, etc.

Pre 1 April 2007, service can be covered but this must be done within six months of nominating the partner.

Death benefits

From 1 April 2007, the death in service lump sum is to increase to three times the new average salary.

The accrual rate for survivor’s benefits will remain at 1/60th for each year of eligible service, but based on new average salary.

HMRC flexibilities

The current 15% contribution limit to be lifted.

The 40 year limit on pensionable service to be lifted.

The age 65 limit on NITPS membership to be raised to 75.

Contribution rates - members

Members The member contribution rate will rise

from 6% to 6.4%. The effect of combining the scheme

reforms and improvement with retention of NPA 60 for existing members, will require an increase of 0.2% in the contribution rate for all members.

A further increase of 0.2% will be applied as the members’ share of the outcome of the 2004 NITPS valuation.

Contribution rates – employers

EmployersThe employer contribution rate will fall

from 14.15% to 13.6%+There will be a ceiling on the employer

contribution rate that would take effect from the 2008 valuation onwards.

+There will be an equal division between members and employers of any cost increases or saving that may result from future valuations.

New member fact sheets

There will be a number of fact sheets on: NITPS Members’ Guide Planning for retirement Leaving pensionable employment Returning to work after receiving

pension benefits Additional Pension Increasing your pension benefits Ill-health benefits

New member fact sheets (Con’t)

Ill-health retirement benefits and re-employment

Working part-time before retirement Average salary Partner benefits Death benefits from 1 April 2007 Maternity/paternity Pensions on divorce Deferred members at 31 March 2007