Pensions clarity

Your article "DFES reveals pensions plan" (September 24) is inaccurate.

It is completely wrong to say that the "statutory retirement age" for teachers and lecturers is being raised to 65. There is no "statutory retirement age" and we have no intention to introduce one.

Our proposals state that the normal pension age for new members will rise to 65. The pension age is the age at which scheme members are able to draw unreduced pension benefits. Teachers and lecturers will still be able to retire at, before or after 60 - as they do now.

At retirement, pension and lump-sum benefits will take account of the number of years of service the teacher has worked before and after the changes were introduced, which will be 2006 for new entrants and 2013 for existing members.

David Miliband
Minister of State for School Standards