Service Level Agreement
Last updated:BC responsibilities
The Pensions Team aims to provide a high level professional service on all teachers’ pension matters where guidance is offered to assist customers in resolving queries.
The PT aims to work in partnership with its customers; working to assist Academies in reaching their long term aims and objectives when it comes to the overall management of its teachers’ pay and pensions.
- Provide a professional Teachers’ Pensions service to our customers
- Provide specialist knowledge and information on Teachers’ Pensions
- Provide guidance in a timely and appropriate manner either by telephone, email or letter
- Adhere to the SLA timeframes in terms of acknowledging a query
- Provide a comprehensive Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for statutory pension activities
Academy Statutory responsibilities
Under the Teachers’ Pensions regulations, once the Academy is outside of Local Authority control, the Academy is responsible for deducting pension contributions from the teacher’s salary and transferring them to Teachers’ Pensions. As the employer, the Academy is responsible for paying the employer’s share of the contributions too. All of this has to happen monthly, no later than the 7th of the month following the deduction of the contributions. Please refer to the service description.
Correct service and salary information is essential for the completion of MDC as it offers significant benefits to both the members and employers. Teachers’ Pensions use this information to update individual service records, which is used to update their pension statement and pay their pension. It is therefore essential that the correct information is updated on the teachers’ records. Please refer to the service description.
The Academy must ensure that the correct rates of pension contributions are deducted from the teachers’ salaries.
Academies using an external payroll provider are responsible for ensuring that the data/returns are made accurately and within the agreed timeframes. TPPT will make the Academy aware of any external payroll provider’s failure to abide by this agreement.
Access to the on-line Portal on the Teachers’ Pensions website must be granted by the Academy to enable the Pensions Team to carry out the on-line secure function.
Finally, the administration of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme is subject to statutory legislation, supervised by the Pensions Regulator. They have the power to impose fines on schemes and employers (and their individual managers) who fail to adhere to them. Please note that as an Academy you are the employer.
The Academy must ensure that the completed End of Year Certificate reaches Teachers’ Pensions (Darlington) no later than the last working day in May. This needs to be signed by a person with responsibility for finances in the Academy (i.e. Finance Director).
This return can be audited prior to sending to Teachers’ Pensions (Darlington) at the end of May. However, if the return is sent unaudited, it must be audited and returned to Teachers’ Pensions (Darlington) no later than the last working day in September.
- Ensure that all staff are directed to the HR Service Desk for all queries in respect of Teachers’ Pensions
- Acknowledge that the service offered by BC is that of a guidance nature
- Raise any concerns around the service they are receiving as soon as the concern arises
Where possible reasonable notice should be given to BC to ensure realistic timeframes are met