New members your guide to the Northern Ireland Teachers Pension Scheme (NITPS)

Introduction

This guide details the benefits provided by the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Pension Scheme (NITPS).

This guide provides important information about the modifications and improvements effective from 1 April 2007. The new provisions will include a pension age of 65 for new entrants to the NITPS alongside modifications to the current scheme for existing members from 1st April 2007.  The revised guidance incorporates the existing guidance prior to 1st April 2007 so all guidance and leaflets prior to this are obsolete.

The NITPS is a contributory scheme administered by Teachers’ Pensions Branch (TPB) on behalf of the Department of Education.  It is a defined benefit ‘final salary’ scheme and is one of the most important and valuable benefits available to teachers.  The NITPS not only provides you with a regular income after you retire but can also provide a lump sum.  It also gives financial protection to your family or other dependants after you die.

The NITPS is contracted-out of the State Second Pension (S2P) and that means the NITPS guarantees to pay benefits which are at least as high as those the state would pay.  Although you will be contracted out of S2P you will receive the Basic State Pension in addition to your teacher’s pension.

The NITPS is a statutory scheme subject to the Teachers’ Superannuation Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 (as amended).  Nothing stated in this guide overrides the provisions of the regulations.  If you want more information on any aspects of the scheme, you can get any of the leaflets mentioned in this guide in the forms and leaflets section from this website.