Following extensive campaigning by the unions, the Department for Education has confirmed that legislation will be changed in relation to survivor benefits for male spouses of female members of the teachers' pension scheme (TPS) to ensure that the benefits payable to a surviving male spouse or civil partner of a female scheme member are equal to what would be payable if that member was in a same-sex marriage or civil partnership. This could affect female members who had pensionable service prior to April 1988.

Scheme rules will be changed to provide that the male spouse or civil partner of a female member is treated in the same way as a same-sex spouse or civil partner - survivor benefits will be calculated using service from 1 April 1972, or 6 April 1978 if the marriage or civil partnership took place after the last day of pensionable service. This will apply from 5 December 2005, the date that same-sex civil partnerships were introduced.

Teachers' pensions are now working in conjunction with the Department for Education to implement this change to the scheme. 

First published 29 July 2020