The University offers PensionsPlus as a way to make contributions to employee pension schemes. PensionsPlus is a salary exchange arrangement that, for the majority of staff, will reduce National Insurance contributions meaning staff take home more pay than they would outside of PensionsPlus.
All eligible staff will be automatically enrolled into a qualifying workplace pension scheme, to comply with the law on workplace pensions.
When starting their employment, eligible staff will be informed in writing the details of the automatic enrolment and will have a period of one month in which to opt out if they wish.
(USS) University Superannuation Scheme
Membership of USS is open to grade 6 research assistants and to all staff, grades 7 and above.
The USS Retirement Income Builder is a type of defined benefit pension scheme where benefits are based on each year's salary throughout the period of membership (on a Career Revalued Benefits basis). Members pay a monthly contribution equal to 6.1% of salary, while the University contributes 14.5% (from 1 January 2024).
Members will also have access to the USS Investment Builder, a defined contribution section where benefits at retirement are based on the contributions made by you and the University and the performance of funds that your contributions are invested in. All members have the option to join this section in addition to the USS Retirement Income Builder, whilst earners above the salary threshold of £71,484 (1 April 2025) will join automatically and pay core contributions above the salary threshold into this section.
The scheme provides a monthly pension and a tax-free lump sum on retirement and death benefits for families and dependents. Full details are available by following this link to the USS website.
(SAUL) The Superannuation Arrangements of the University of London
Membership of SAUL is open to grades 1-6 excluding grade 6 research assistants.
The SAUL scheme is made up of a ‘defined benefit’ section and a ‘defined contribution’ section. Staff who were in the scheme on 31 March 2023 are members of the defined benefit section with new starters either joining the defined benefit section if they have previously been a member of SAUL and have benefits in the scheme or the defined contribution section if they are new to the scheme.
Both sections of the scheme provide a monthly pension and a tax-free lump sum on retirement and death benefits. Further details are available to view on the SAUL website:
Defined Benefit section SAUL | Home
Defined Contribution section SAUL | SAUL's DC section
PensionsPlus
PensionsPlus is a way to make pension contributions to either USS or SAUL which reduces payment of National Insurance deductions, meaning staff take home more pay than they would by contributing to their pension outside of PensionsPlus. PensionsPlus launched on 1 February 2020. All salaried staff are automatically opted in to PensionsPlus unless they chose to opt out.
What will change as Kent becomes a multi-university group?
The University of Kent has legally committed to a merger with the University of Greenwich, to become the first-of-its-kind multi-university group.
The intention is to maintain continuity of pension schemes; if a member of staff is currently enrolled in SAUL or USS, they will continue to remain in SAUL or USS in the multi-university group.
It should be noted that discussions around pensions are ongoing, with no solid commitments at this stage.