Scottish Teachers and National Health Service Pension Scheme statistics: FOI release

Information requested

Information pertaining to the schemes listed below:

Scottish Teachers Pensions Scheme (Scotland) pre-2007.

The National Health Service Pension Scheme (Scotland) pre-April 2008.

Response

I enclose a copy of most of the information you requested. Please note the information below relates to the following schemes which correspond with the dates you asked about.

- Teachers' Superannuation Scheme (Scotland) Final Salary Scheme

- National Health Service Superannuation Scheme (Scotland) 1995 Section

1. The current number of people in receipt of pensions for the schemes listed above.

Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme = 70 369
NHS Superannuation Scheme = 107 888

2. The current number of those pensioners that are widowed spouses / civil partners/dependant adults that are in receipt of Survivors Benefits in the pensions listed above.

This information is provided in the table attached.

3. Please also include numbers of recipients by their birth decade. E.g. born in 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970 etc

Please see attached table as above.

4. The number of recipients who have forfeited their pensions due to marriage or cohabitation in the last five years.

The SPPA cannot determine the number of members who have forfeited their pensions from member status or other available data fields on member records.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. This is therefore an official notice that an exemption under Section 17 (1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act applies to this information.

5. The number of recipients that have requested the restoration of pension due to the breakdown or ending of a subsequent relationship in the last five years.

It is not possible to determine this from the information held on our records. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. This is therefore an official notice that an exemption under Section 17 (1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act applies to this information.

6. How many, if any of these requests have resulted in pension restoration in the past five years?

It is not possible to determine this from the information held on our records. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. This is therefore an official notice that an exemption under Section 17 (1) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act applies to this information.

7. What information is requested by SPPA of the former pensioner when requesting pension restoration and what criteria is used by SPPA so that a fair decision may be reached regarding restoration or not?

There are three circumstances for the above schemes in which a pension restoration could be restored.

a) If pension payments have been stopped because a member was re-employed and breached the earnings limit and the member then ceased their employment again. In this case, for the pension payments to be restored, SPPA would require confirmation in writing from the member and leaver data from the employer.

b) For NHS Scheme (1995) dependants who are receiving a deceased spouse's pension and the spouse finished pensionable service before 1 April 2008, if the dependant (widow/er) moves in with a new partner, remarries or registers a new civil partnership, the pension payments cease. If this new relationship ends, the pension may be restored/reinstated. The dependant would need to write to SPPA requesting pension restoration and would need to provide supporting evidence. This evidence may be a utility bill, rental agreement or mortgage agreement.

c) For Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme (Pre-2015) dependants who are receiving a deceased spouse's pension and the spouse finished pensionable service before 1 April 2007, if the dependant (widow/er) moves in with a new partner, remarries or registers a new civil partnership, the pension payments cease. If the new relationship ends, the pension may be restored/reinstated. The dependant would need to write to SPPA requesting pension restoration and would need to provide supporting evidence. This evidence may be a utility bill, rental agreement or mortgage agreement.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202400409075 - Information released - Attachment

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