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A timeline to retirement

Now you’re thinking about retiring, it’s important to know how the process works and how long it takes

Once you tell your employer when you want to retire, it usually takes around three months to complete the process.

Build in some thinking time before you tell your employer your retirement plans, so you can consider your options, take financial advice, and lay the foundations for your future. This timeline isn’t an indication of when you should start planning – that’s entirely up to you.

You have a few options around when and how you can take your benefits and savings, visit your options at different ages and stages and use our Retirement Planning Tool.

If you have savings in the Investment Builder on top of your Retirement Income Builder benefits, you don’t have to take everything at the same time. Your Investment Builder savings can stay invested when you retire if, for example, you don’t need them until a later date. Read more about the Investment Builder.

This timeline is for members who are paying in to USS.

Your retirement date arrives!

  • We're here to help

    You can contact us online with any questions you have throughout the process, or once you're retired.