University Superannuation Scheme

Find out about the University Superannuation Scheme (USS) and who this pension is for.

About the USS

USS is the pension scheme for academic staff and professional services staff on grades 7-10.

Read about the USS and access your My USS member records.

USS Overview

Your pension is made up of two components that work together to support your financial future. If you have both Retirement Income Builder benefits and Investment Builder savings, you hold a hybrid pension—meaning you build up benefits in two distinct ways, offering the best of both worlds.

Retirement Income Builder: This is a defined benefit pension that guarantees you a regular income in retirement, along with a one-off lump sum.
Investment Builder: This is a defined contribution pension that provides a flexible savings pot, which you can use in various ways to suit your retirement plans.

Together, these elements provide a balanced and adaptable approach to retirement planning.

You can find out more about the scheme by clicking on this link - How your pension works

New Joiners & Auto-enrolment

All employers are required to provide access to a workplace pension scheme. A pension helps employees save for their retirement and provides valuable benefits while they are employed.

At the University of Sussex, all eligible employees are automatically enrolled into the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). Employees who do not meet the automatic enrolment criteria may still be entitled to join the scheme and will be invited to do so where applicable.

To be automatically enrolled into USS, you must generally:

Work in the UK
Be aged between 22 and State Pension Age (further information on State Pension Age can be found at https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age)
Earn more than the automatic enrolment earnings threshold
Not already be an active member of a qualifying workplace pension scheme

You can find out more about your Pension Scheme when you login into MYUSS and select the Benefit tile.

Automatic Enrolment Earnings Thresholds (2025/26 Tax Year)

You may be automatically enrolled if your earnings exceed any of the following thresholds:

£192 per week
£833 per month
£10,000 per year

If your earnings exceed the relevant threshold, the University is required to enrol you into a workplace pension scheme. For further information about USS, including information on automatic enrolment, pension benefits and your membership options, please visit the USS website: You're a new joiner

Please note: If you are not automatically enrolled, you may still be able to join USS. Details on how to opt in or apply for membership can be provided by the Pensions Team on request.

I’ve just been automatically enrolled into the pension scheme can I leave it?

If you’ve recently joined the pension scheme through automatic enrolment and are considering opting out, it’s important to first understand what your monthly contributions will be and the potential benefits available to you at retirement. Before deciding, take time to review the full value of the scheme—including employer contributions and additional benefits you would forgo by leaving. If you are certain about leaving, you can find an opt-out form on the USS website, just click on this link - Thinking of leaving

Access to MYUSS portal

You can access your personal pension portal, known as My USS, to manage your pension details and track your benefits.

Registering takes just a few minutes using your member number, and gives you access to a range of useful features:

Monitor your benefits and savings
Use calculators and tools to understand your contributions and projected retirement income
Complete or update nomination forms to let us know who should receive your benefits in the event of your death
Make informed savings and investment choices for your Investment Builder pot
Update your contact email—ideally a personal one—so we can stay in touch if you change jobs or retire

To register you can use this link - Register for My USS

Or if you have registered already just click on this link to login- Login.

You’ll be able to view any Investment Builder savings in My USS immediately. Retirement Income Builder benefits will appear once you receive your first Annual Member Statement, typically issued in the autumn following your enrolment.

Pension Contributions

Contributions to the scheme are made by both active members and the University. As a member, you contribute 6.1%* of your salary each month.

Your employer contributes 14.5%* of your salary each month to support your benefits and the administration of USS. The USS pension contribution are fixed under the scheme trust deed and rules.

*Contribution rates are subject to change following future scheme valuations.

How do I make additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) into my pensionAVC’s?

USS offers flexible options to help you build your pension benefits. You can make additional contributions to the Investment Builder—even if your earnings are below the salary threshold—allowing you to grow your savings further.

With these contributions, you also have the freedom to choose how your investments are managed. If you prefer not to make those decisions yourself, USS can manage them on your behalf.

When it comes time to access your pension in later life, USS provides flexible options for drawing your benefits, giving you control over how and when you use the savings you've built up.

Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVC’s) are set up by you via your MYUSS portal.

You can find out how to by visiting the USS webpages and watching their video guide, just click on this link - Help & support and scroll to the video Guide, ‘My USS: How to make additional contributions’.

Life Cover

If you have a spouse or civil partner, they may be entitled to a lifetime income equivalent to approximately 50% of the pension you would have received at your Normal Pension Age. In addition, they could receive a lump sum payment equal to three times your salary.

If you do not have a spouse or civil partner, but someone is financially dependent on you or relies on you due to a physical or mental disability, they may also be eligible for a dependant’s pension.

Children under the age of 18—or up to age 23 if in full-time education—or those unable to support themselves due to a physical or mental disability may also qualify for a children’s pension.

How does salary exchange work?

The University offers salary exchange and by selecting this option, you are choosing to give up some of your regular pay in return for a different benefit and in this instance that would be for your pension contributions paid across to your pension provider.

When you contribute to your pension through salary exchange, your salary is reduced by the amount you choose to contribute. The University then pays this amount directly into your pension, along with its standard employer contribution. Your tax and National Insurance are calculated based on your reduced salary. If the total pension contributions remain within your annual allowance (typically £60,000), you won’t be taxed on these savings. This is because contributions made via salary exchange are treated as employer contributions, rather than deductions from your pay.

You can find out more about salary exchange (sometime referred to as salary sacrifice) on the moneyhelper website - Free and impartial help with money, backed by the government | MoneyHelper and whether or not this is right for you by clicking on this link - Boost your pension with salary sacrifice | MoneyHelper

What is non-salary exchange?

Opting into salary exchange is entirely voluntary, and it may not be suitable for everyone. If you choose not to participate, your pension contributions will be taken from your gross salary, and you’ll pay tax and National Insurance on the full amount. To help you decide whether this option is right for you, we recommend seeking independent advice.

You can speak to MoneyHelper for free, impartial advice by calling their helpline on 0800 011 3797.

You can opt out of salary exchange by using the self-serve option available below.

Scheme Processes & helpful Information

Re-enrolment

Even if you choose to opt out of the pension scheme, the University is required to automatically re-enrol you every three years as part of their re-enrolment cycle. This means you’ll need to opt out again each time if you still do not wish to participate. For any questions on the re-enrolment process, please contact the University Pensions team – pensions@sussex.ac.uk directly—they’ll be able to guide you through the process.

Taking Retirement

What you receive from USS will depend on the type of benefits you hold:

If you have Retirement Income Builder benefits only (a defined benefit pension), you'll receive a guaranteed income for life and a one-off lump sum at retirement.

If you have both Retirement Income Builder and Investment Builder savings (a defined contribution pension), you have a hybrid pension. This gives you greater flexibility in how and when you access your savings.

With a hybrid pension, you can choose to take your Investment Builder savings either before or after your Retirement Income Builder benefits—allowing you to tailor your retirement income to suit your personal circumstances.

You can read more about your retirement options on the USS website, just click on this link - Taking your benefits and savings

Flexible Retirement

Flexible retirement allows you to access up to 80% of your pension while continuing to work, provided you reduce your working hours and salary by at least 20%. Each time you draw part of your pension, it’s referred to as a “flex.” This approach enables you to gradually transition into retirement while continuing to build your pension benefits for the future.

For more information of Flexible Retirement click on this link that takes you to the USS website - Your options at different ages and stages

Ill Health Retirement

If you’ve been contributing to USS for at least two years and have an illness or condition that prevents you from working—or significantly reduces your ability to work—you may be eligible for early retirement with your USS benefits.

There are three types of ill health retirement available, and what you receive will depend on several factors, including the extent to which you’re able to continue working. To learn more about each type, your eligibility, and the steps involved, please refer to the ill health retirement factsheet for active members.

Death

While you are actively contributing to USS, you are covered by life assurance to help protect your loved ones in the event of your death.

This includes a lump sum payment—typically three times your salary—and may also provide a pension for eligible beneficiaries. USS have a helpful factsheet which you may find useful, just click on this link to find out more - What happens to my benefits and savings if I die whilst paying in to USS?

Leaving the University

Once your contributions stop, your pension pot will remain invested. You can continue to access your pension information through the MYUSS online portal, which provides details on how to manage or transfer your funds.

If you are an overseas national planning to leave the UK after your employment with the University, your pension arrangements will remain unchanged. Upon leaving, you may transfer your pension to any UK-recognised overseas pension scheme.

Please ensure that USS has your up-to-date contact details to avoid any delays.

USS support for members

USS have released a series of bite sized videos and animations for members on a range of popular topics, including:

your investment choices
an overview of USS
your retirement options
an introduction to pensions
what happens when you leave USS?
what happens when you join USS?
an overview of pension tax

Investment Choices – Investment Builder section

If you contribute into the Investment Builder, this is the defined contribution (DC) part, which allows you to save more towards your future in your own savings pot invested in options you choose.

USS's investment team, USS Investment Management (USSIM), manages these investments on behalf of the scheme. Their role is to look after the investments and help the scheme grow over the long term to support members' pensions.

To find out more on how USS Investments please visit the USS webpage, via this link How we invest

Forms

Expression of Wish form

An Expression of Wish form lets USS know who you would like to be considered to receive any lump sum life cover benefit payable on your death. While USS makes the final decision, your nomination helps guide the trustees when determining who should receive the benefit.

You can complete or update your Expression of Wish form at any time through MyUSS - Login. We recommend reviewing it whenever your circumstances change and at least every three years.

The expression form is located on the USS webpage, via this link - What happens when you die

Retirement – Employee Notification of retirement form

If you are an active member of USS and plan to retire when you leave the University, you can request an Employee Notification of Retirement form from the Pensions Team by emailing Pensions@sussex.ac.uk.

USS Contact Details

For all general enquiries you can call USS on 0333 300 1043 and they can put you through the right team or you can click on this link Contact us.