Current timescales for USS payments

Are you considering full or flexible retirement in the next few months?

In order for your pension benefits to be paid from USS, the University of York needs to submit an Employer’s Notification of Retirement form to USS. As a USS member, you will also need to complete a Member’s Notification of Retirement form. USS may also ask you for additional information, such as verification of your date of birth.

Ensuring timely payment

To ensure timely payment, USS needs all the information above at least eight weeks before your retirement date. If they have the correct information in time, they will aim to make payment as follows:

  • Any lump sum is paid into your bank account as soon as possible after your last day of employment.
  • Your first pension payment is made on the 21st of the month following your retirement date.

(Please note that payment times cannot be guaranteed.)

Longer processing times

If USS do not receive all of the information they need at least eight weeks before your retirement date, then payments are processed in the order that the forms are received.

Currently, we understand that these cases are taking around 10-12 weeks to be processed. This means that there could be a significant lag between your last installment of salary being paid (or your last higher installment of salary if you are taking flexible retirement) and your pension and, if relevant, any lump sum payment, being paid to you.

Take a look at USS’ timeline to retirement

Planning ahead

If you are planning to retire in the next few months, we’re encouraging all employees who are USS members to let us know as soon as possible by completing the leaver process. If possible, you may wish to consider giving more notice than you are required to by your Terms and Conditions of employment to give the best chance of your pension from USS being paid on time. This is normally three calendar months for colleagues in Grades 6-8, Professorial and Senior Management.

If you have any questions, please contact the University’s Pensions Team via pensions@york.ac.uk.