As an employer, the University must automatically enrol you into a pension scheme and make contributions to your pension if you’re eligible for automatic enrolment.
 
You can then choose to either remain in the scheme or opt out.
 
The scheme you are eligible to join will be confirmed in your contract of employment.

Joining a pension scheme allows you to save for your retirement. Also, by joining a work pensions scheme, you can benefit from tax savings and employer contributions towards these savings.

Under the Pensions Act 2008, every employer in the UK must put certain staff into a workplace pension scheme and contribute towards it. This is called 'automatic enrolment'.
 
We also have a legal requirement to auto-enrol all eligible employees every three years.

CRSP – If you have been automatically enrolled, you are entitled to opt out within one month of receiving your enrolment communication. Any contributions you have made will be returned to you. Upon receiving your enrolment communication, you can opt out via:

• WorkSave Choice where you can log on using your enrolment code that was provided on your enrolment communication and follow the easy steps
• Or, if don’t have online access you can call Legal & General on 0345 026 8982 to request that an opt out form is sent to your home address

USS – Contact the Pensions & Benefits Team

All casual workers who meet the age and earnings criteria will be automatically enrolled into the relevant pension scheme.

As part of your contract, all members of staff are eligible to join a pension scheme. Details of the relevant scheme will be outlined in your contract of employment.
 
Upon joining the University you will be automatically enrolled into your contracted pensions scheme and then auto re-enrolled every three years. If you have chosen to opt out of being in a pension scheme, you are eligible to re-enrol at any time.
 
If you are an employee on Level 1-3 and wish to re-enrol into the CRSP salary exchange pension scheme, please contact complete the Employee Pension Scheme Instruction Form. If you are an employee on Level 4 or above, or eligible and wish to join the NHS Pension Scheme, please contact the Pensions Team who will be able to support you with this.

The University offers various pensions schemes. The one you are eligible to join will depend your grade and position.
 
Details of the scheme you are eligible to join will be outlined in your contract of employment.
 
Please contact the Pensions Team if you are unsure which scheme this is.  

If you have multiple jobs within the same pension scheme your pension contribution will apply to the combined earning (salary).

If you have multiple roles in different grade levels (Level 1-3 and Level 4 and above) you will contribute to the appropriate scheme provider as outlined in your contract of employment. This may mean that you have multiple pension funds. The University will also pay employers' contributions into each pension fund.

While there is no limit on the amount that can be saved into your pensions each tax year, there is a limit on the total amount that can be saved with tax relief applying over both your lifetime and each tax year before a tax charge might apply.
 
The University will contribute up to maximum amount per scheme and for the CRSP scheme, this is tiered on the basis of the your own contribution. For CPAS and USS, the University contributions are set at a fixed amount.

CPAS

Employee	Employer
7.5%	This is a Defined Benefit Scheme, the employers' contribution is a financial commitment to funding the scheme to ensure employees receive a guaranteed pension in their retirement. The University's annual investment in the fund is £1.8m.

 

USS

Employee	Employer
From 1 January 2024 6.1% Rates may change, please see the USS web site for the latest contribution rates.	From 1 January 2024 14.5%

 

CRSP

Employee	Employer
3% (default contribution rate)	6%
4%	8%
5%	10%
6%	12%
7%	14%
8% or above	16%

 

NHS

Employee	Employer
Tiered according to salary 5% - 14.5% Rates may change, please see the NHS web site for the latest contribution rates	14.38%

Your membership of the scheme will continue, the benefits that you are accruing and the contributions required at this time will depend on the scheme and the way that your normal contributions are made. More details are on the relevant schemes' web sites.

You are still eligible to contribute to your contracted pension should you become a part-time employee, however, the amount deducted will be reduced.
 
Your pension contribution is deducted as a percentage of you pensionable Income (ie your salary) and as such, if you decide to work part-time and choose to continue your pension contributions, the same pension contribution percentage will be taken from your reduced pay.
 
You can choose to reduce your contributions or opt out of the scheme, but please remember that due to auto-enrolment every three years you will automatically be re-enrolled into your contracted scheme.

The simple answer to this is yes, but depending on the scheme you are enrolled in, the method in which your benefit will increase may be different. Please contact your individual scheme provider or seek specialist advice should you wish to explore your options further.

CRSP – If you decide that you would like to boost your pension savings, you can: 

• Contact the Pensions Team if you wish to increase your regular contributions
• Contact Legal & General directly if you want to make a one-off payment 

USS – If you want to save more, you can use the Investment Builder to top up your benefits.

Yes, you are able to transfer benefits in from other schemes. Please contact your scheme administrator to discuss this further should you require further details.

• USS
• CPAS
• CRSP
• NHS

You will be able to continue to contribute to your pension or access your pension if you have retired and moved oversees. Please contact your pension administrator to find out more.

• USS - or see the USS Working or retiring overseas fact sheet
• CPAS
• CRSP - L&G Pensions: What happens if I move abroad?
• NHS

For most schemes, the pension age is set to 65 years, however, depending on the scheme you are enrolled in there may be options to take your pension before this age. Please contact your scheme administrator to discuss this further should you have any further questions or follow the links below:

• USS
• CPAS
• CRSP
• NHS or see the NHS Pensions Early Retirement Factsheet

In certain circumstances, and depending on the pension scheme you are eligible to join, you may be able to retire early due to ill health. Please contact your scheme administrator if you wish to discuss this further or follow the links below:

• USS
• CPAS
• CRSP
• NHS or see the NHS Pensions Early Retirement Factsheet

This may be possible depending on the scheme and your circumstances. Please contact your scheme administrator if you wish to discuss this further or follow the links below:

• USS
• CPAS
• CRSP
• NHS or see the NHS Pensions Early Retirement Factsheet

Taking your pension does not exclude you from taking on future roles, although depending on the scheme, it may mean that you are unable to build up any future benefits in the scheme concerned.

Your contributions and benefits will be frozen at the time you leave and will be protected until such a time as you either transfer them to another pension scheme or take the benefits on retirement. In a very limited set of circumstances, depending on the scheme and the way contributions have been made, you may be able to get a refund, however, this is only in the very early stages of contributing.

You can chose to opt out of the pension scheme provided by the University of Nottingham and contribute to a private pension scheme of your choice. However, the University will not make employers' contributions to you or your private pension scheme provider. The University is also not able to setup salary deductions to other pension providers.

This cannot be offered by the pension schemes or the University. You may wish to consult a suitably regulated independent financial advisor.

You can also contact: The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), an arm’s-length body sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions who can provide free and impartial money and pensions guidance for people across the UK.