Your first opportunity to join the Fund will be from the date that you have completed two years continuous employment. You must also:

• be aged at least 18 and not more than 74
• not be eligible to join the Universities Superannuation Scheme

Why join the scheme?

It doesn't cost as much as you think due to tax relief on pension contributions. Tax relief means that you pay your contributions to the Fund before the tax on your pay is calculated.

Your employer will contribute towards your pension, and the value of your contributions to the Fund increases as your salary does.

Finally, life cover and dependant's pensions are included in the cost of your contributions.

Lump sum life cover

One of the benefits of membership of the Fund is that a lump sum may be payable to your dependants if you die in service and are under the Fund's normal retirement age. This is currently 66, and will increase in line with increases to the State Pension Age

This lump sum is only payable to the extent that it is underwritten by the Fund's insurers. Overseas business and leisure travel is generally underwritten, however, business travel overseas to a restricted country is excluded from cover. Therefore, if a member dies on business travel overseas to a restricted country, the lump sum may not be payable.

Becoming a member

If you apply to join the University of York Pension Fund once you are eligible and your application is accepted, you will be entered into Tier 1 but can choose to go down into Tier 2 if you want to. You can change Tiers at any time during your membership.

Download the UoY Pension Application form [pdf]

If you are a member of The People's Pension, at the point that you become a member of the University of York Pension Fund, your contributions to The People's Pension will be ended. You will still be able to make contributions to The People's Pension directly from your own bank account if you want to, and you can find information about setting that up here. Alternatively, if you want to make extra contributions to your University of York Pension Fund through the University's payroll system, you can find information about setting that up here

.