FOI_25-113 Pension schemes and contributions
Date of response: 06 May 2025
We have now considered your request of 10 April 2025 for the following information:
The information I am requesting is about your pension payments to your staff.
For each of the past four full tax years (24/25, 23/24, 22/23, 21/22), can you please tell me, for your academic staff members only:
Question 1. Which pension scheme do you may into for most of your academic staff (TPS, USS, or other). If you pay into more than one scheme, can you provide a short explanation of why that is.
Our response:
| 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|
| USS | USS | USS | USS |
2024-25 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22
USS USS USS USS
The University has a NHS pension scheme for approximately 80 members of academic staff due to the Norwich Medical School being a direction body in respect of the NHS Pension Scheme.
Question 2. What is the total amount you spent on pension contributions to your members' schemes.
Our response:
| 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £16,914,012.22 | £22,363,770.11 | £25,309,458.96 | £24,670,992.11 |
The above responses are a total of the employer’s pension contributions for USS. Whilst this is the primary pension scheme for academics there are some other staff who have retained eligibility to USS despite being non-academic. The reduction in totals for 2023-24 and 2024-25 are due to a significant change in employer percentage contribution from 21.6% to 14.5% on 1st January 2024.
Question 3. What is the average amount you spent on employer pension contributions per member of academic staff.
Our response:
| 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|
| £6,490.41 | £8,423.27 | £8,781.91 | £8,240.14 |
Question 4. What proportion of your overall staff remuneration budget goes on to staff pension contributions.
Our response:
| 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.7% * | 12.3% | 15.1% | 16.4% |
*Forecasted position for 2024-25.
As of the date of your request the University has not completed our budget analyses, which takes place at year-end. This percentage includes certain estimates to incorporate the full financial / academic year and is subject to change.