Operational updates
For action
Annual member statements 2020
Direct to Member (action required by 31 May)
On 2 April 2020 we emailed Official and Pension contacts with details of the Direct to Member launch and data cleanse activity that will allow us to send annual member statements straight to your members. During week commencing 20 April we sent files detailing the members for whom we have missing postal and/or email addresses. If you prefer you can send an extract of all your members via the HR interface rather than updating the missing addresses. Please email us at USSinterfacesupport@uss.co.uk to let us know if you’ll be taking this option.
This file is in the same format as the HR Interface. If you need a reminder of how to complete the HR interface, check the HR Interface administration guide on the employer portal. The deadline to provide this data is 31 May 2020.
HR interface naming convention
Example: HR1234201901070001.
HR = file type (HR Interface).
Your USS Institution code - 1234 in the example above.
File date in the format YYYYMMDD – 20190107 in the example above where DD is usually the day your create/submit the file.
Your unique four digit reference – 0001 in example above. This can be any four digit reference number you wish.
Are your members’ records up to date?
The statements are calculated as at 31 March 2020. Statements will be produced for active members who had benefits in the scheme at that date. If you have any changes to make to members’ records that should be reflected in the statements, please make them by 15 June 2020. Changes after this date can’t be reflected in the statements.
Retirement requests: change to submission timescales
To help our teams as we approach a peak time for retirements in Summer, where possible we would be grateful if you could please submit forms eight weeks in advance to guarantee retirement settlements are completed by the member’s date of retirement. We recognise that this is an increase from the previous four weeks and it’s to assist our team as we accommodate the challenges presented by working remotely.
We will, of course, do our best to process any requests that come in with dates closer to retirement, but they will be prioritised based on the date received.
We can now accept requests for retirement quotes up to 12 months from date of retirement. However, we are asking that only quotes for members who are planning to retire are submitted, members who are investigating their options are requested to use the USS Benefit Illustrator
If you have any queries about the retirements process, please contact James Hynes, Retirements Team Manager.
Contribution interface process - Information (INF) files
When you submit your monthly contributions interface files you may receive an Information (INF) file as well as a correction file. The INF file includes details of any members for whom there are warnings as well as rejections. Warnings can be generated for a number of different reasons.
Please review the INF file as well as any corrections each month, particularly for members who are showing on our records as ‘active’ but for whom you have not submitted a contribution. (A list of these members will be in the INF1 file you receive after submitting your contribution interface file). These members may have left USS membership and you may need to submit a leaver notification via the HR interface.
Our Client Engagement team are now reviewing the INF files on a monthly basis and will work with you to reduce the number of warnings each month.
You can find out more about the information and correction files from the How to use the Contribution Interface Correction and Information files administration guide on the employer portal.
Should you have any queries please contact USSinterfacesupport@uss.co.uk.
For information
USS to launch annual Employer Attestation framework
As a participating employer within the scheme, you are required to adhere to a range of specific duties and responsibilities.
In order to raise employers’ awareness and understanding of their duties and responsibilities and obtain assurance that employers are complying with these duties and responsibilities, a new Employer Attestation framework is being launched in June 2020.
Thereafter, it will run on an annual basis. All employers will be required to participate in the annual attestation.
As part of the attestation, key duties and responsibilities will be clearly out-lined and employers will be asked to confirm that they have read and understood their duties and responsibilities and attest to compliance against each. This will cover a wide range of duties and responsibilities including compliance with participation terms, provision of scheme information to new joiners, payment of contributions etc. We appreciate that this exercise may highlight some instances of non-compliance. Please be assured that the objective of this exercise is not to punish those employers who are not currently complying with their obligations, but to provide education where necessary and support any actions required to aid ongoing compliance.
The attestation will be sent to the Official and Pensions contact at each employer in an electronic format during week commencing 15 June 2020 for you to complete, sign and return to USS. The completed attestation should be signed by your employer’s Official contact. Employers will be asked to return their completed attestations within four weeks of request.
Meanwhile, should you require any further information or have any questions regarding the launch of the Employer Attestation framework please contact the Client Engagement team.
Salary Sacrifice arrangement
If your institution operates a salary sacrifice arrangement for members’ pension contributions, there are some important points to remember:
- Members who have paid contributions by salary sacrifice may not be entitled to a refund of their contributions if they leave within two years, this is because the employer will have paid contributions on their behalf. However they will remain eligible for alternative benefits in these circumstances.
- If your institution operates salary sacrifice for normal and ‘match’ contributions then members contributions will automatically be salary sacrificed. However, members who can opt-out of salary sacrifice would then remain entitled to a refund of their own contributions if they left within two years.
- If your institution offers salary sacrifice for additional contributions, members will need to opt-in to have these contributions salary sacrificed.
View our glossary item on salary sacrifice. More general information about salary sacrifice for pension contributions is available from the Pensions Advisory Service.
Employer training
USS are committed to being a learning organisation providing education and support for employers.
For the last two years, we have successfully delivered six different training courses, to over 450 delegates. Feedback has been excellent and we now want to enhance our offering further and provide more learning options.
Design has started on a range of 20 ‘bite sized’ online modules, that you’ll be able to access to increase your knowledge and capability. The new modules will cover a whole range of topics such as Roles and responsibilities of USS employers, Completing the Interfaces and the various member events.
Launch will be phased and commence August 2020.
Parental Bereavement Leave
The Parental Bereavement Leave Regulations 2020 and the Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (General) Regulations 2020 came into force from 6 April 2020.
This legislation allows parents to take up to two weeks leave within 56 weeks of the death of a child on or after 6 April 2020. During this period of leave employees are entitled to benefit from all of the terms and conditions which would have applied had they not been absent, including pension benefits. Whilst on this leave, members will only be required to pay contributions based on what they are actually paid and employers will be required to make up any shortfall – this is in line with other types of statutory family leave.
If you have any queries please contact USSinterfacesupport@uss.co.uk