Universities UK (UUK), on behalf of USS member institutions, has written to the Trustee of the USS pension scheme in response to its consultation over the 2020 valuation of the scheme. 

Responses were received from employers representing approximately 88 per cent of the scheme’s active membership. Headline comments include: 

• The approach chosen by USS Trustee for presenting its proposals is unhelpful and employers found it incredibly difficult to make sense of the consultation material.
• The trustee’s covenant assessment, its proposed rule change and debt monitoring arrangements, and recovery plan need to be resolved before employers can make informed judgements on the valuation.
• Further information is needed from the trustee on the wider perspective as many employers noted that it was impossible to answer questions in isolation, and these should be looked at within a more comprehensive picture

The full response has been added to the University’s web page about the 2020 valuation.