Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps has her Department is taking with the Teacher's Pension Scheme to reduce the time taken to provide pension valuations for teachers undergoing divorce proceedings.

The department is aware of a backlog with the number of outstanding Cash Equivalent Transfer Value figures that are used by members in divorce proceedings. The backlog has arisen as a result of the Transitional Protection (McCloud) remedy and the need for complex guidance to be provided before affected cases could be processed by the scheme administrator.

The scheme administrator has undertaken IT development to help expedite these cases in order to increase capacity. Discussions are ongoing regarding any additional efficiencies and resource that can be used, as the department appreciates the impact that a delay has on members in these circumstances.