
Life cover
to support your family if you die
whilst paying in
Now you've started your savings journey with us, it’s important to understand how your pension works, what you’re saving and whether it'll be enough for your future.
While you’re paying in to USS, you’re not only building a pension. You’re eligible for a range of benefits to help support you and your loved ones.
Life cover
to support your family if you die
whilst paying in
A guaranteed income
for life once you retire with the
Retirement Income Builder
A spouse or civil partner's pension
and in some cases a dependant's pension,
giving peace of mind that they’ll be looked after
Ill health benefits
if you’re eligible and unable to work
long-term
For more information about building benefits and savings with USS, and what you should do next, visit our You’re a new joiner pages or watch our video.
Being a USS member gives you a guaranteed income in retirement, plus a tax-free (up to a limit) lump sum, with the Retirement Income Builder – the defined benefit (DB) part of USS.
You could also build up a savings pot to access flexibly with the Investment Builder – the defined contribution (DC) part – if you earn above the salary threshold, transfer in or choose to pay additional contributions.
Learn about both parts in How your pension works.
It takes minutes to register with your member number and you can:
You can see any Investment Builder savings in My USS, but you won’t be able to see all your Retirement Income Builder benefits straight away. You’ll see these once you receive your first Annual Member Statement from us, typically in the Autumn after you joined, depending on when you joined.
Every contribution counts, whether you’ve entered permanent employment, a fixed-term contract, or you’ll only be working in the UK for a short time. You can save for your future with USS, and benefit from pension contributions from your employer.
If you’re new to USS or have just re-joined, take a look at What you pay and what you’ll get to find out more about your contributions and what you’ll receive in return. As a member, you’re entitled to support including ill health benefits, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria, and life cover.
Estimate the monthly cost of being a member. You’ll see how much you’ll save in tax and National Insurance each month too.
Join the 45-minute session live and have a chance to ask questions, or listen to a pre-recorded version at your convenience.
It’ll cover topics you may find useful as a new member, including an overview of how USS works and how your benefits build up, the benefits which could help support your loved ones, and your options at retirement.
It’s important you get to know your pension and keep up to date on what you’re likely to get when you retire. Future you will thank you for it.
Pension scams are on the rise, with scammers taking advantage of the uncertain economic environment.
Keep an eye on our latest member news to stay updated throughout your savings journey.
No matter what stage of your career you’re at, our Help & support page also has FAQs which may help to answer any questions you have.