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UCU survey on the employers' proposed changes to USS pensions

Your pension

UCU is the trade union that represents the interests of members of the USS pension scheme and negotiates on members' behalf with employers. UCU is providing this tool to all staff, whether or not they are UCU members, to ensure they are better informed about the changes which employers are considering making to USS.

By completing this survey and giving your views on those changes, you will strengthen UCU’s ability to represent you and secure the best possible retirement benefits for you and for other staff.

1. Select your employer: *This question is required.

2. Other employer

2. Are you currently a member of the USS pension scheme? *This question is required.

3. Why are you not currently a member of USS? Please select as many answers as are relevant.

I am not eligible to join
I used to be a member but have left the scheme
I have left USS qualifying employment
The contribution rate (9.6% of salary) is too high
The future contribution rate (11% from October 2021) will be too high
I don’t expect to work in a USS institution for long enough to make it worthwhile
Uncertainty about the future of the scheme
Don't know
Other

Under what circumstances might you consider leaving USS, even if you remained eligible for membership?

Please select as many answers as are relevant.

If employers decide to implement the benefit changes illustrated by this modeller
If my contribution rate is not reduced from its current rate (9.6%)
If my contribution rate increases to 11% (as it is scheduled to do in October 2021)
If my contribution rate is increased to higher than 11%
Don’t know
Other

3. Users of our modeller will see reductions in their annual DB pension and DB cash lump sum under the ‘proposed’ scenario which employers are considering, compared with the ‘current’ scenario. For some users these reductions could be partially offset by an increase in the cash lump sum from their DC Investment Builder. The DB pension and DB lump sum are guaranteed, while the DC lump sum is not guaranteed – it could be lower or higher than the amount shown.

The modeller only illustrates benefits which you could build up between 1 April 2022 and a hypothetical retirement age of 66. Benefits built up before 1 April 2022 are not affected by the UUK proposals and are not included.

How confident are you that you can build up decent, secure retirement benefits under the 'proposed' scenario which the modeller illustrates for you?

Very confident	Confident	Neutral	Not confident	Not confident at all

4. Has your employer communicated with staff in your institution about potential changes to USS since 7 April 2021? *This question is required.

5. Now that you have used our modeller, how satisfied are you, on reflection, with the information which your employer has given you about the proposed changes to your pension?

Very dissatisfied	Dissatisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Satisfied	Very satisfied

5. In addition to the changes illustrated by our modeller, your employer has also been consulted on ways to address the high rate of staff opting out of USS. This is a problem that affects lower paid and precariously employed staff in particular.

Which of these ways of addressing the opt out rate would you prefer?