Teachers' Pensions - Career Average (CARE) Impact Calculator

Plan your Teachers’ Pension with confidence

Use our calculators to explore Lump Sum options, Phased Retirement, and Early Retirement. For more tools – including how part-time work, or going deferred affect your CARE pension – visit the Pensions Hub.

Teachers’ Pensions
Lump Sum
Phased Retirement
Early Retirement
What is CARE? It stands for Career Average Revalued Earnings. You earn a small slice of pension each year based on what you actually get paid that year. While you keep paying in, your built-up CARE usually grows by inflation (CPI) plus 1.6% a year. If you leave the scheme, it usually grows by CPI only.
How this calculator works
  • CARE only - not the old Final Salary part.
  • Shows your estimated yearly pension at retirement and how it compares with staying in.
  • If you know your latest CARE amount, enter it and we’ll grow it from today. Otherwise, use the salary estimate.

Basic inputs

Whole pounds only. We round automatically.
Whole pounds only. From your statement.
Advanced assumptions (optional)
Leave 0% unless testing a forecast.
Usually 57.
Effective active rate now: 3.6%

Timeline events

Ages are whole years; end age is exclusive. For a few-months break, use Short unpaid break (months).

How this CARE impact calculator works

  • CARE accrual: yearly slice ≈ FTE salary ÷ CARE divisor (usually 57).
  • Revaluation: while active, past slices grow by CPI + 1.6% (default +1.6%); when not paying in we use CPI (2.0%).
  • Part-time: accrual scales with working % (e.g. 60% FTE ⇒ 60% of the yearly slice).
  • Breaks/strike days: no accrual for those periods; revaluation follows deferred rules.

Not financial advice. Cross-check figures against your Teachers’ Pensions statement and scheme rules.

Next: compare deferred vs active growth, try a tax-free lump sum, or explore phased retirement.

CARE impact — common questions

Only for the period you work part-time. You accrue a smaller slice in those years; future revaluation applies as normal.

You don’t accrue new CARE for the break. Built-up CARE usually grows by CPI only (deferred rules) during that time.

Strike days don’t accrue CARE for those days. The annualised impact is typically small, but the calculator includes them.

No — this tool models the CARE section (2015+). Final Salary rules are different and aren’t included here.