Receiving your pension

You can tell us about a change of address by phone, email or letter. It’s important to keep your personal details up to date because if we receive any returned mail we’ll suspend your pension to protect you and your data.

If you change your bank details, you may tell us in writing, via email, or by telephone.

To tell us about a change of bank account in writing, your letter must be signed by the person receiving the pension or a representative with power of attorney or a legal guardian. You can post the letter to us, or scan and attach a copy to an email.

If you forget to sign your letter then we won’t be able to update your records, which may mean your payment gets delayed.

To tell us about a change of bank account by email or over the phone, you will need to answer some additional security questions.

We will require you to confirm your name, address, date of birth, National Insurance number or Superannuation number. Then in addition you must confirm the existing bank Sort Code and Account number, along with the current monthly amount of your pension payments.

As payrolls are run throughout the month, we cannot guarantee that details will be changed in time for your next payment. For this reason, we advise that old bank accounts remain open, until the first successful transfer to the new details.

Letting us know about other changes, like a change of marital status.

To change your marital status, name or any other details, you must write to us by post or email us. Include photocopies of any supporting documents, for example your marriage certificate or divorce decree.

New pension payments are made monthly in arrears on the last banking day of the month. If your retirement doesn’t start at the beginning of the month, your first payment will cover the portion of the month you were retired. Any back-dated arrears from an earlier retirement date will be included in the first payment.

If you are due a lump sum it will usually be paid within one month of your retirement date.

If the last day of the month falls on a weekend, you’ll be paid on the Friday before. If your normal payment date falls on a bank holiday, payment will be made on the preceding banking day.

We don’t routinely issue paper-based pay advice notes unless there is a change in your payment amount of more than £5, for example through a tax code change or annual increase. You can Register for My Pension Online to view and download your pay advice notes every month.

Receiving a pension when you don’t live in the UK.

If you live abroad you can choose to have your pension paid into an overseas bank account through Citibank, our overseas service provider. Citibank buy foreign currencies in bulk when rates are favourable and use their buying power to get more competitive rates. There is a charge for this service.

Charges

A standard 2% foreign currency transaction charge is applied to all overseas payments, which is payable by you. There is no handling fee. Citibank purchase currencies in bulk ahead of time which means it’s difficult to compare like-for-like when it comes to exchange rates.

Third-party charges or fees

You are responsible for any third-party charges or fees, which may include:

• Intermediary or correspondent bank charges
  If your payment is routed through a correspondent or intermediary bank, they may charge for this service. Citibank always aim to use their own branch network to minimise intermediary or correspondent bank charges.
• Beneficiary bank charges
  Beneficiary bank charges are charged by your bank for processing an incoming foreign payment. In most cases, Citibank uses the local clearing house system (for example, BACS in the UK) which means payments are identified as a domestic item rather than a foreign payment to reduce beneficiary bank charges.

Overseas mandates

To receive your pension payment abroad you must complete an overseas mandate form. It’s a good idea to contact your overseas bank for advice when completing the form to make sure the information you give us is complete and accurate. Incorrect information may mean your payment is delayed.

Payment will be made in your country’s local currency unless you request otherwise. If you wish to receive payments in another currency it’s likely we’ll need more information from you so please contact the payroll team for more information.

Overseas mandate forms

Click on the link to find the overseas mandate form for the country where you want your pension to be paid.

PAYE references for your SPPA pension scheme

Teachers' pensions	Retired teachers use 961 9000458
	Teachers' widows, widowers and family dependents use 961 8235354
	Former grant-aided college teachers use 961 8229439

 

If you’re due to turn 55, we’ll calculate your new pension rate before your birthday and let you know. If your 55th birthday is part-way through a payment period you’ll get a part-month increase based on your pension before 55 and after 55. Your next payment will include a full month-increase.

We don’t provide estimates of age 55 increases.

Guaranteed Minimum Pension

If you retired after 1978 and receive a State Pension, you may be affected by the Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP), also known as the Contracted Out Pension Equivalent (COPE) rules. That means you may not always receive the full annual percentage increase in your SPPA pension as part of your increase may be paid by the Department of Work and Pensions.

Find out how GMP and COPE affects members of the Teachers pension scheme

If you receive a widow or widower’s pension you must tell us if you decide to re-marry, live with another person as husband and wife, or register a civil partnership because it may affect your pension payment. We will then let you know if your pension payment will continue or end.

If you don’t tell us about any changes in your circumstances and are no longer entitled to a widower or widow’s pension, any payments made will be recoverable by us.

If you receive a dependent’s pension, you must let us know if you leave education or training, take a gap year, get a job, get married or enter a civil partnership. These changes may affect your pension.

We’ll contact you every year to ask you to prove that you are still in full-time education or training. If you don’t reply to our query your pension will be suspended, so please make sure you keep your personal details up to date.

If you don’t tell us about any changes in your circumstances and are no longer entitled to a dependent’s pension, any payments made will be recoverable by us.