Levelling up premium payments for teachers

TheFrom levellingautumn up2022, premiumearly paymentcareer teachers can beclaim betweena £1,500levelling andup £3,000premium dependingpayment onfor teaching the schoolfollowing yousubjects teachin in.eligible state-funded secondary schools:

• mathematics
• physics
• chemistry
• computing

TeachersThe canlevelling applyup frompremium Septemberpayment gives eligible teachers up to £3,000 in the following academic years:

• 2022 to 2023, 2023
• 2023 to 2024 and
• 2024 to 2025 academic years.

When toyou can apply

Use the table below to find out when you can apply for a levelling up premium payment.

For postgraduates, use the academic year when your initial teacher training (ITT) course started. For undergraduates, use the academic year when your ITT course finished.

ITT course start or finish	Academic yearyears to apply
2017 to 2018	2022 to 2023 (autumn 2022)
2018 to 2019	2022 and 2023
2019 to 2020	2022, 2023 and 2024
2020 to 2021	2022, 2023 and 2024
2021 to 2022	2022,
2018 to 2019	2023 andto 2024 (autumn 2023)
20222019 to 20232020	2023
2020 andto 20242021
20232021 to 20242022	2024

The 2022 academicto year2023   2019 runsto from2020 2024 1 September to 312025 August.(autumn Applications2024) 2020 opento in2021   2021 Septemberto of2022   2022 theto year2023   2023 shown.

to 2024  

Eligibility criteria for teachers

You must meet the eligibility criteria to be able to claim any additional payments.

FromOnce Septemberthe claim window opens in autumn 2022, you will be able to answer some questions to find out what additional payments you are eligible to claim.

You will only be able to claim either an early-career payment or levelling up premium payment per academic year, even if you are eligible to claim for both payments.

Learn more about what additional payments are available.

School eligibility and payment amount

Levelling up premium payments will be offered in schools identified as having a high need for teachers. If you teach in an eligible school in an educationEducation investmentInvestment area,Area, you will receive a higher payment.

ListLearn ofwhich eligible and non-eligible schools forare levelling up premium paymenteligible (ODS, 319317 KB).

Methodology

We have produced a methodology document (PDF, 130148 KB, 2 pages) which explains our funding approach.

Qualifications

To claim, you must have completed at least one of the following:

• an ITT course specialising in mathematics, physics, chemistry or computing
• training to get qualified teacher status (QTS) through assessment only or overseas recognition in an eligible academic year
• a UK undergraduate or postgraduate degree related to mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing on the JACS 3.0 principal subject codes or with a relevant higher education classification of subjects (HECoS) code (ODS, 9.5811.6 KB)
• an equivalent non-UK degree

If you were awarded qualified teacher status (

QTS) throughand assessmentQTLS

To onlyclaim ora overseaspayment recognition in anthe eligible academic year,year you2022 willto also2023, beyou eligible.

QTSmust andhave QTLS

Youone mustof havethe either:following:

• QTS
• qualified teacher learning and skills (QTLS) status and membership of the Society for Education and Training (SET)

You must have started a postgraduate ITT course or completed an undergraduate ITT course in the 2017 to 2018 to the 2021 to 2022 academic years.

The academic year runs from 1 September to 31 August.

Employment

You must be employed as a teacher in a state-funded secondary school in England when you apply for the payment. State-funded secondary schools include:

• local authority-maintained secondary schools (including middle-deemed secondary schools)
• academies, free schools or multi-academy trusts
• special schools (local authority-maintained or non-maintained)

This includes middle-deemed secondary schools.

You must have spent at least 50% of your contracted hours allocated to teaching one or more of the eligible subjects at the time of the application.

Supply, private school and sixth-form college teachers

If you are a supply teacher, you must:

• be employed directly by the school
• have been working for at least one term before applying

You cannot come from a private agency.

If you teach in a private school or sixth-form college, you are not eligible.

Part-time teachers

If you are a part-time teacher, you are eligible for the same levelling up premium payment amounts as full-time teachers.

You still need to meet the same eligibility criteria in full.

Breaks in teaching

You are allowed to have some breaks in your normal employment which include:

• sickness, maternity, paternity, parental or adoption leave
• annual leave
• time between unfair dismissal and an employee being reinstated
• military service, for example with a reserve force
• temporary lay-offs

Performance

You must not currently be subject to any:

• formal performance measures as a result of continuous poor teaching standards
• disciplinary action

Payments and deductions

Number of payments

The Department for Education makes the payment in one lump sum.

You can only claim one additional payment in each academic year, even if you are eligible for more than one type of additional payment.

For example, if you are eligible for both the levelling up premium and early-careerearly career payments, you can only claim one of these additional payments in the same academic year.

However, if you are eligible to claim back your student loan repayments, you will be able to claim this as well as a levelling up premium payment or early-career payment.

TaxablePaying incomeIncome Tax and National Insurance

The levelling up premium payment is considered taxable income.

The Department for Education will pay Income Tax up to basic rate (currently incomeearnings of £12,571 to £50,270, taxed at a rate of 20%) and National Insurance for the payment on your behalf.

If you become or already are a higher rate taxpayer, any additional Income Tax and National Insurance contributions for this payment over the higher rate will remain your responsibility. The higher rate is currently incomeearnings of £50,271 to £150,000, taxed rate 40%.

The Department for Education is not liable to reimburse tax at the higher rate.

ReviewPlease review the tax bands updated on Income Tax rates and personalPersonal allowancesAllowances.

The payment is not part of your salary from your employer. You, your employer, or the government will not make a contribution to your pension as part of this payment.

YouPlease should consider any other benefits or tax credits that could be affected if you claim this payment.

Student loan deductions

If you have a student loan you are currently paying off, a deduction will go towards repaying your student loan. This is taken from your payment automatically.

Contact

If you have any questions about the levelling up premium payments, email levellinguppremiumpayments@digital.education.gov.uk.