The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) is calling for the Department for Education (DfE) to take action regarding issues with the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, which has approximately two million members. The union reported significant concerns, including payment delays that have left many teachers in financial distress. They expressed surprise at the volume of inquiries they have received from members seeking assistance.
The DfE acknowledged the concerns, stating that it recognizes the frustration caused and is working with the pension scheme to resolve these issues promptly. The Teachers’ Pension Scheme, one of the UK’s largest retirement schemes, has its operations outsourced to Capita, although the DfE holds overall responsibility. The NAHT highlighted delays in pension payments, long wait times for phone inquiries, and inadequate communication from pension scheme staff as pressing problems.
James Bowen, the NAHT’s assistant general secretary, indicated that members are “deeply dissatisfied” and emphasized the need for stronger leadership in addressing these challenges. He suggested that improving the scheme’s capacity to handle queries could be a solution.
In a personal account, Joanne Hurst, a head teacher with a 40-year career in education, shared her experience of delays in receiving her pension payments. She had planned to use her lump sum payment to pay off her mortgage but has not received it, causing financial strain and impacting her mental well-being. Hurst described the differing information provided by the pension scheme’s representatives as highly frustrating.
The NAHT pointed to a legal judgment from 2018 as a possible contributor to the current delays, which led to changes in public service pension schemes, complicating the valuation processes. The DfE and Capita have both apologized for the delays and are actively working to manage the increased demand for inquiries.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2zvj2ex70o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss