Retrospective Increments

You might be indeed but i would recommend your union,to advise on,your specifics and fight the case subsequently

I know that after my time in the UK I was entitled to incremental credit for the year. There was no hassle at all with it. I'm not sure that you'd be entitled to back pay, but you should jump a point on the scale. As the driver said the union may be needed as you can't predict how black and white someone in payroll will see the increment freeze if this applies to you.

Relevant circular is 0029-2007 can't post a link as I'm new around here. It is on the TUI website for sure

3) Teaching Service in a Member State of the European Union (EU):
(The limit of 7 years on the award of credit for approved teaching service within the EU was removed under Agreed Report 10/2000).

a) All teaching service given in a Member State of the EU and demonstrated by evidence provided by the teacher, to the satisfaction of the Department or Chief Executive Officer of the Vocational Education Committee as appropriate (see Section 7(a)), to be equivalent to approved teaching service shall be regarded as approved teaching service for the purpose of this circular.

b) A recognised teacher shall be placed on the scale at the point the teacher would have reached had the service, in respect of which credit is awarded, been given in this State.

c) The effective date for the award of credit to recognised teachers who are employed

i) under a whole-time contract is 1 September 1994 or the date of appointment if later;
ii) Under an EPT contract is 1 September 2000 or the date of appointment if later.
iii) Under any other contract type is 20th December 2001 or the date of appointment if later.

I had to do this a few years ago although it wasn't overseas service. I was entering a voluntary secondary school having worked in a VEC and also been privately paid along the way. I have to say that the DES were excellent. There are forms you can download or they can send to you and you just fill those in. You probably need to get them stamped by the school authority in the UK. To be honest, that's the time consuming part. Then you simply send them into payroll - get the name of the payroll person dealing with your school. I had no need to inform the union because there was no difficulty.

I would simply recommend a phone call to payroll in the first instance and if the going gets tough then by all means contact the union.

Interesting one alright. However, this is how I see it. Incremental credit is based simply on work done and time served. My understanding is that if you do more than 738 hours teaching in one school year you qualify for a full increment - i.e. you advance one point on the scale. How you were paid is pretty irrelevant. You seem to be saying that you worked in one school for a year but were employed by an agency. In that case, it still looks pretty straightforward to me.

Going back to my first post, the DES are very efficient when you send the form into them. In my experience, the increment is honoured immediately although because their payroll is finalised at least a week before payday it will probably go two pay periods before you see your pay increased. As my Dad would say, it's a deferred saving!!!

Maybe put the potential problems to one side, get the form and then contact the school in London when they reopen. I would phone them and discuss the issue first. If they raise difficulties, then take union advice. I'm sure you're not the first person to be in that position. Mind you, it just reinforces the reasons why I'm glad I never had the work in the minefield of English education:)