Who this calculator is for
School support staff — teaching assistants, HLTAs, admin and office staff, technicians, site staff — are typically enrolled in the Local Government Pension Scheme rather than the TPS. The LGPS is also a CARE scheme, but with different mechanics that produce meaningfully different outcomes:
| Feature | LGPS | TPS |
|---|---|---|
| Accrual rate | 1/49th of pay per year | 1/57th of pay per year |
| Contribution basis | Bands on ACTUAL pensionable pay | Bands on FTE salary |
| Contribution range | 5.5% – 12.5% (2026/27 bands) | 7.4% – 12.7% |
| Cheaper option | 50/50 section: half contributions, half accrual | None — full rate or opt out |
| Administrator | ≈90 local pension funds | Teachers' Pensions (single) |
What 1/49th means in practice
Each year of LGPS membership builds 1/49th of that year's pensionable pay. A teaching assistant earning £20,000 builds £408 of annual pension per year — against £351 for the same salary in the TPS. The faster accrual is the LGPS's structural advantage; the trade-off is that support-staff salaries are lower and term-time pro-rating shrinks the pensionable pay base.
| Actual pensionable pay | LGPS (1/49th) | TPS equivalent (1/57th) |
|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £408 | £351 |
| £25,000 | £510 | £439 |
| £30,000 | £612 | £526 |
The term-time trap
The 50/50 section
The LGPS's best feature for lower-paid staff: you can elect to pay half contributions for half accrual (1/98th), while keeping the full death-in-service grant and ill-health protection. For a TA struggling through an expensive month, it halves the pension cost without touching the insurance value. You can move in and out of 50/50 freely — it is a payroll election, not a scheme exit.
| Actual pay band | Full rate | 50/50 rate |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £17,600 | 5.5% | 2.75% |
| £17,601 – £27,600 | 5.8% | 2.9% |
| £27,601 – £44,900 | 6.5% | 3.25% |
| £44,901 – £56,800 | 6.8% | 3.4% |
| £56,801 – £79,700 | 8.5% | 4.25% |
| Above £199,500 | 12.5% | 6.25% |
Employer contributions: the quiet giant
LGPS employer rates are set fund by fund by each local pension fund's valuation — commonly 16-23% for school staff. On a £22,000 salary, an employer rate of 19% puts £4,180 a year into your pension against your £1,430. Like the TPS's 28.8%, this is money that makes opting out close to indefensible.
How a support-staff career projects
A TA on £22,000 actual pensionable pay with 2% annual growth, working 30 years to 67, with 2% CPI revaluation, projects roughly £15,000-£16,000 a year of LGPS pension — before the full State Pension of £11,973 on top. The projection in the calculator above runs your own numbers through the same mechanics, including your accrued-to-date figure from your annual benefit statement.
Checking and topping up
- Your annual benefit statement comes from your local pension fund, not Teachers' Pensions — find your fund via the LGPS member site.
- Additional Voluntary Contributions and Additional Pension Contributions (buying extra LGPS pension) are both available.
- Back-payment of APCs for past service is sometimes possible within windows.
- Check whether you are in 50/50 by accident — some staff elect it during a tight year and forget to switch back.
Frequently asked questions
What pension do teaching assistants get?
Most are in the LGPS: a CARE scheme building 1/49th of actual pensionable pay each year, with contributions from 5.5% banded on actual pay. A TA on £22,000 builds about £449 of annual pension per year worked, plus the State Pension.
How does the LGPS differ from the teachers' pension?
It builds faster (1/49th vs 1/57th), contribution bands use actual pay rather than full-time equivalent pay, rates run 5.5%-12.5%, and the 50/50 section halves contributions while keeping full death and ill-health cover.
What is the LGPS 50/50 section?
An election to pay half contributions in exchange for half accrual (1/98th), while keeping the full death-in-service grant and ill-health protection. You can switch in and out freely — useful for tight months without leaving the scheme.
Why is my pension based on less than my advertised salary?
Term-time contracts pro-rate the FTE salary across 52 weeks. A £25,000 FTE TA role typically pays about £18,750 actual, and that actual figure is your pensionable pay for both contributions and accrual.
Which pension fund am I in?
Your local authority's pension fund administers your LGPS membership — there are around 90 funds across Great Britain. Your payslip or employer HR can confirm the fund; statements come from the fund directly.
Can I have both LGPS and teachers' pension?
Yes, commonly — support staff who qualify as teachers, or teachers working TA hours, accrue in both. The pensions remain separate and pay from their own Normal Pension Ages, but both count towards your total retirement income.
Sources
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