School Teachers' Pension Scheme

lookyhere

Is this the right forum for questions on Teachers Pensions?

I was teaching full-time permanent in a Comprehensive School for 11 years until I left teaching in the 1990s. I have no records of my own from that time, but my understanding is that you were automatically enrolled in a pension scheme if you worked in a Comprehensive School. And I do remember having a medical exam which was a requirement for entry into the scheme. But I have no payslips to show I was paying into such a scheme.

I submitted a written inquiry about it to the Dept of Education in 2013. No response. Forwarded the same inquiry in July 2016, told they were working on a backlog. Then nothing. Submitted inquiry for a third time in late 2016. This prompted a phone call and was told I had no entitlement to a pension. I asked for followup by letter but didn't receive anything. I don't know if I have no entitlement as I had insufficient years of service or whether I was never enrolled in the pension scheme.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058235207/school-teachers-pension-scheme

Hi

This category is mainly concerned with DSP payments medical cards etc. You would be better off asking a mod to move your thread to the secondary school teachers category.

https://www.boards.ie/categories/teaching-lecturing

lookyhere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118709956#Comment_118709956

Thanks. Do I need to report/flag my own post to bring it to the attention of a Mod?

Or MOD - can you please move this to the correct forum. Thanks!

CraftySue

If you were teaching full time, you must have been paying into a pension. Try the pension department of the department of education to see what records they have maybe. It might be worth getting in contact with revenue to see what records they might have of that time, they won't have you pension contribution details, but it will show you worked in the school, and for what years, which might help.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058235207/school-teachers-pension-scheme

Were you teaching in Ireland? The term Comprehensive is used more in the UK than Ireland.

lookyhere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118711118#Comment_118711118

Yes, in Ireland. I only mentioned that it was a comprehensive school because as far as I remember the regulations re pensions might have been different to other secondary schools. I'm hazy on it, but think you were automatically opted into the pension scheme.

lookyhere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118711081#Comment_118711081

Yes, I was full-time, permanent. Did everyone pay into a pension back then? Is there any way they might have neglected to take contributions towards a pension from me? Or would it have been possible that when I resigned that they paid back whatever contributions I had made?

Is it significant that my PRSI contributions for those years are Class A1? Would that be the typical type of contribution?

It's the pension department at the Dept of Education I have emailed a number of times. I feel at a disadvantage as I don't have any of my old payslips to check to see if there was a pension contribution listed. I'm usually good at keeping stuff like that, but they would have been stored away in an attic where there was some water damage to boxes stored there so were probably thrown out at some stage.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118711597#Comment_118711597

Who was the patron or governing body for the school? VEC (now ETB)? Catholic church? Other church?

Does the school still exist today? Were you a trade union member?

lookyhere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118711696#Comment_118711696

I'm not sure if you're trying to identify the school - there are so few comprehensive schools in Ireland that if I answered that question, you would know which one. Yes, school still exists. I was a member of the ASTI.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118711749#Comment_118711749

I'm trying to identify the type of school, with a view to identifying the actual employer- the governing body.

You could contact the school, and the governing body for the school, and ASTI. If you want to play hardball, submit Subject Access Requests under GDPR to these and to the Department, as they are legally obliged to respond within fixed timescales.

eimerom

Not certain of the Dept of Education pension scheme rules but for most public sector/civil service, you were unable to join the scheme unless you had a permanent contract. This changed in 2002 when temp employees got the same entitlements as permanent.

In the public sector, if you were paying A1 prior to 1995, this would mean you were not permanent. It's normally a Class D. Again not sure if the teacher's pension scheme the same.

If you are certain you had a permanent contract, then it would be surprising that you were not automatically entered into their scheme. Additionally I don't think there would have been an option of a refund with more than 5 years.

My comments are based on LGSS pensions so cannot be sure if same rules apply to the teacher's scheme.

Geuze

Typical teachers hired pre April 1995 were PRSI class D, like most public servants.

It's odd that you were class A.

That signals to me that your status was in some way not normal, which may be due to the unusual type of school patron.

However, I am really just guessing here.

The Pensions Office in Athlone DES should know.

lookyhere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118711835#Comment_118711835

Thanks eimerom. Yes, I definitely had a permanent contract. I did have a one-year career break in the middle, but don't think that would have interfered with my pension, if I had one. According to the statement I got from Social Welfare, my paid contributions for each of those years was 52 A1 - except for the year I had the career break 17 A1, then 35A1 for the partial year when I returned.

Geuze

You say that you don't have any payslips, okay.

But do you have any P60s from that period?

They might help indicate if you were paying a pension cont.

eimerom

Correct, career break wouldn't interfere with membership. If you're certain that you were permanent then you should have been paying into the scheme once it was a public school.

Like Geuze mentioned there might be another reason for the A1 PRSI class. The Nominated Superan scheme would all pay A1 so may be something similar.

Another poster suggested going down FOI or GDPR route, this might be the way to go if you are getting nowhere using the normal process.

Or could you co tact the school directly? Do schools hold personnel records for employees that they submit to the dept?

Tbh, even if you had been temporary which you've confirmedyou were not, they should still be able to give the information about service etc as you would have and an option to reckon it under the PSTN if you were still in the public sector. 11 years very long so they should certainly be able to give you an explanation as to why it wasn't pensionable.

Best of luck with it anyway and hope you get sorted.

lookyhere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118711933#Comment_118711933

My previous messages to them seem to have just gone into a black hole.

I just sent another email requesting a statement of my service history along with any and all P45s, P60s and complete Statement of Salary.

lookyhere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118711969#Comment_118711969

Yes, was definitely permanent.

It was a public school, with payroll being handled directly by the Dept of Education. I know the school roll number, my teacher payroll number and start and end date of my employment there. The school would not have any other records that I need.

Tried ringing Cornamaddy but got prompt advising me that they are busy and to send email.

I sent an email requesting a statement of my service history along with any and all P45s, P60s and complete Statement of Salary. I also sent the Pension Query Form that I originally sent in 2013.

Hope there isn't a cut-off point for claiming a pension ... if I'm entitled to one.

eimerom

There's no cut off for claiming a preserved benefit with the public sector. If it's like the local government scheme, you would be eligible to claim from minimum retirement age 60 (pre Apr 2004).

Is it worth contacting the Pensions Ombudsman if you still don't get anywhere? There are obligations on the Trustees of schemes to provide your information within certain time frames. 9 years is a ridiculous length to wait for this information.