Pay More Work Longer

Pay more, work longer, and get less That’s what the Tory-led government wants you to do to make you pay for the deficit created by the bankers.

UNISON members in on the Local Government Pension Scheme are facing serious attacks on their pension rights. Most staff in colleges are part of the Local Government

Pension Scheme (LGPS). The government has said that it wants to raise an extra billion pounds in contributions from members of the scheme. This means that the amount staff pay into the pension scheme each month will increase by around 50%.  They have also changed the way that inflation-linked increases in the pension are calculated and say that they want the age at which staff can retire to be increased. UNISON thinks this is a grossly unfair attack on the pensions of college staff. The average pension payable in the local government pension scheme is just £4,200 a year. For female and part-time staff the average is even lower. These are not ‘gold plated’ pensions. They are the minimum required for a decent standard of living in retirement.

Student Union Superannuation Scheme

Further to circular HE/13/11 please below is a downloadable response for UNISON branches to use and adapt in response to the consultation on the proposed changes to the Students’ Union Superannuation Scheme

Changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)

18/05/2011)Further to recent circulars below is a circular which outlines the details on the proposed changes to the USS agreed by the USS Joint Negotiating Committee on 10 May. A full summary of the changes to the scheme is provided in the downloadable document.

National Union of Students Superannuation Scheme

The Students’ Union Pension Scheme (SUSS) is a pension scheme that covers staff employed by the NUS and in 69 student’s unions. A list of the institutions affected can be downloaded from the link below attached.The NUS as principal employer in the scheme has announced that it intends to close the scheme for future accrual and replace the current defined benefit scheme with a money purchase scheme. The proposed changes are:

• closing SUSS to all members;
• providing access to a money purchase arrangement for future pension provision.

Joint Union Response to Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) Pension Consultation

(06/12/2010)Please find below a link to a model response that branches can use in the consultation on proposed changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).

Consultation on Changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)

(18/10/2010)The timetable for the consultation on the changes to USS has been announced. The consultation will take place between 20 October and 22 December.

Proposed Changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)

(25/07/2010)USS is the pension scheme predominantly for academic and related staff in pre-1992 universities, however some UNISON branches will have members in the scheme following implementation of the Framework Agreement or where an institution has allowed all members of staff to join the scheme.

Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) Review

(18/05/2010)USS is the pension scheme predominantly for academic and related staff in pre-1992 universities, however some UNISON branches will have members in the scheme following implementation of the Framework Agreement or where an institution has allowed all members of staff to join the scheme.