Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS)

It is administered by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA). In most cases the scheme applies in the same way as TPS.

Employees pay tiered contributions based on their salary as outlined here.  The employer contributions from September 2019 to 31 March 2023 are 23%.

More information on  STPS is available on the SPPA website.

Update on Remedy Delivery, March 2025

The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) has issued an updated timetable for the delivery of the 2015 Remedy. It had been planned that all affected members would be provided with a remedy choice by the end of March 2025. The remedy choice is set out as a Remedial Service Statement (RSS), and it shows affected members what pension benefits they would receive if they took their pension benefits in the 'legacy' Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme (pre-2015 scheme) or if they took their pension benefits in the 'reformed' 2015 Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme. Scheme members would make their remedy choice upon retirement.

This circular explains the complexities of these calculations, and the fact that it is not yet possible to provide the RSS for affected members.

All affected members will get their remedy choice, and be able to take their pension benefits either in the legacy scheme or in the reformed scheme, as is their preference. It is anticipated that all affected members should receive their RSS in the summer and autumn 2025.

The SPPA informs us that any in scope members retiring in this period are being automatically moved into the legacy scheme, as pension benefits are likely to be more favourable to the members, however, once their RSS is available these members will get a choice which will be backdated.

There is more information on the remedy, along with a remedy calculator on the SPPA website.

Further information on the remedy is also available on the UCU TPS page.

UCU Scotland response to the SPPA consultation on proposed changes to member contributions from 1 April 2024

The SPPA opened a consultation on changes to member contributions from 1 April 2024. You can read the UCU Scotland response here. [101kb].

UCU Scotland response to the SPPA consultation on implementing the 2015 Remedy, July 2023

UCU Scotland has responded to the SPPA consultation on how it intends to put in place the measures to address the issues arising out of the McCloud court case, which concluded that there was unlawful age discrimination in the transitional protection in some public pension schemes:

SPPA 2015 Remedy consultation - UCU response, Jul 23 [120kb]

Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme Regulations 2022 - UCU response

UCU Scotland has responded to the Scottish government consultation on the The Teachers' Pension Scheme (Scotland) (Amendment) Regulations 2022:

STPS regulations regulations: UCU Scotland consultation response, Jan 22 [111kb]

UCU has put on record that feedback from our members demonstrates that the need for the legacy schemes to close for all has not been made convincingly. Government did not defend the need for transitional protection in the courts but neither is it clearly explaining why it was found to be unlawful. Consequently, members are calling for those in legacy schemes to be able to remain in them indefinitely.

Scheme changes 2019

The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) announced that the employer pension contribution increases will take effect from 1 September 2019 and not 1 April 2019: Change announced to STPS contribution increase date

Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme

The Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme provides final salary related retirement benefits to its members as well as valuable death benefits for their dependants. The scheme closed to new members from 1 April 2015 with existing members either remaining in the scheme or transitioning to the Scottish Teachers Pension Scheme 2015 at a later date.