This section holds details of the rules that govern the scheme. The present scheme rules came into operation on 1 October 2011.
An interactive version of the current scheme rules will be available shortly. Click on the various links below to quickly find pdfs of the various versions of the scheme rules.
You can also search through the documents to find specific content by pressing 'CTRL & F' together.
If you would like to save or print a copy of these rules you can do so by downloading the pdfs below:
Current Scheme Rules
For the existing scheme rules, that came into affect on 1 October 2011 please see below;
Current Scheme rules @ 1 October 2011 incorporating all Deeds of Amendment up to and including the Sixth Deed of Amendment dated 26 January 2012
Previous Scheme Rules
For the scheme rules valid pre 30 September 2011 please see the pdf below;
Scheme Rules @ 1 May 2009 incorporating all Deeds of Amendment up to and including the Fourth Deed of Amendment dated 2 June 2011
Please see below for a copy of the historical scheme rules as at 30 April 2009:
Historical Scheme Rules @ 30 April 2009
Please note:
The present rules came into operation on 1 October 2011 and apply to all active members of the scheme on and after that date. Benefits payable to, or in respect of, a former member who was not in active service on or after 1 October 2011 shall be payable under the rules in force at the date the former member last left service. If the existing rules do not apply to you and you wish to refer to those rules in force when you left the scheme, please contact USS directly.
There are also other circumstances where the present rules may not fully apply to your particular circumstances, which include:
- Former employees of NHS Colleges of Health, who have rights in certain circumstances to a different form of pension accrual and to different retirement ages (this information will have been provided to affected members upon joining USS).
- You may not be eligible for membership of the scheme, even if it would appear that you are otherwise an “eligible employee” under the rules, if your employer has (in certain cases with the trustee company’s agreement) made a declaration of non-pensionability. Contact your employer for more information.
- The provisions regarding the recognition in certain circumstances of pre-scheme service and pre-scheme university service (other than the terms referred to in section 23) are not covered in these rules (as they form part of earlier rules governing the scheme). Any rights to such service under these provisions should already have been established and advised accordingly.
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, and if you are in any doubt about the application of the rules to your particular circumstances, please contact USS for clarification.