Whether you are at the beginning or coming towards the end of your career, the School has created some useful resources to help you think about and plan for your future:

Retirement Planning Guidelines [PDF]

Retirement Policy [PDF]

Transition to Retirement Request form [DOC]

SAUL is an occupational pension scheme providing pensions for more than 50 HE organisations and currently has over 46,000 members. 

To be eligible for SAUL membership, your role must fall within salary bands 1 to 5. 

SAUL is a defined benefit (DB) pension scheme, which means the benefit you receive at retirement is calculated using a pre-determined formula.  

SAUL - About the Scheme - Updated (Sept 2024)

Additional voluntary contributions & transfers [PDF]

Leaving the scheme or opting out [PDF]

Additional information [PDF]

SAUL GDPR Update for Members [PDF]

USS is a UK wide pension scheme offered to LSE staff members on or above Salary Band 6. It is a large scheme with approximately 400 institutions as members.  

USS is a ‘hybrid’ pension scheme, it may provide a combination of ‘Defined Benefit’ and ‘Defined Contribution’ pension benefits. 

About the Scheme [PDF]

Additional voluntary contributions [PDF]

Transfers [PDF]

Leaving the scheme or opting out [PDF]

Additional information [PDF]

In addition to the scheme-specific factsheets, we've also produced a number of other documents to help guide you through some of the other important issues affecting you and your pension:

Automatic Enrolment Explained [PDF]

Salary sacrifice explained [PDF]

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have established allowances within which pension savings achieve tax favourable treatment in the UK. For more details, please explore the following factsheets:

Pensions Tax Explained (Sept 2024)

Lump Sum and Lump Sum Death Benefit Allowance

Pensions Tax: The Annual Allowance [PDF]

Managing your Pensions Tax Liability [PDF]

The School is unable to provide you with any financial advice as legislation requires that this is provided by a registered financial adviser.

The School have therefore worked in conjunction with a number of other London based higher education institutions to create a preferred suppliers list of four independent financial advisory firms, whom the London Pensions Consortium believe have demonstrated a strong understanding of the higher education pension arrangements and the issues likely to be faced by their employees.

All four selected providers are qualified to provide independent financial advice regarding both your membership of the School’s pension arrangements and more general advice regarding your wider financial planning, should this be of use to you.

Both Insight and Chadwicks will provide you with an initial discussion free of charge in order to understand your requirements.  Any fees for further advice will then be agreed with you in advance before any subsequent work is performed.  Both Clarity and Mercers will agree an initial consultation fee with you prior to arranging a meeting, with the fee being dependent upon your requirements from the initial consultation.

Please see below for contact details and a brief overview of each of the appointed advisers:

Chadwicks [PDF]

Clarity [PDF]

Insight [PDF]

Mercers [PDF]

We've collated some of the most common pension queries for you into a separate webpage;

Pensions FAQ

If you still are unsure - please feel free to contact a member of the pensions team. 

SAUL pension scheme

Full scheme information, online facility to update your address details, forms for updating your nominated beneficiaries, opting out of scheme membership etc…. and calculators to assist with your retirement planning. 

USS pension scheme

Full scheme information including forms for updating your nominated beneficiaries, opting out of scheme membership etc…. various factsheets, podcasts and modelling tools to assist with your retirement planning. 

MyUSS

To view and manage details of your USS Investment Builder fund, complete a USS online enquiry form and view details of investment funds and performance. 

Pension Wise   

Free and impartial government guidance about your pension options. 

Unbiased       

Find an Independent Financial Adviser near you. 

The Pensions Advisory Service          

Independent and impartial information and guidance about pensions, free of charge, to members of the public. 

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)            

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare and pensions policy. 

Payroll Team

For enquiries regarding your pay details please contact the payroll team.