USS pension deficit shrinks from £14bn to £1.6bn in two years as markets surge

The top of the UK’s largest non-public pension plan has mentioned the scheme’s funding place had proved “resilient” after its £14bn deficit, which prompted strikes by 1000’s of college workers, shrank to £1.6bn in two years as markets surged.

Invoice Galvin, chief govt of the Universities Superannuation Scheme, the primary retirement plan for the sector with 420,000 members, mentioned on Monday the improved scenario may allow the scheme to regulate the controversial cuts in advantages that triggered the economic motion by lecturers and different college workers.

The announcement prompted anger from members who had had their pension advantages lower in April.

In 2020, USS reported a £14.1bn deficit when it calculated its funding place in March of that yr, because the pandemic ravaged fairness markets.

It argued that cuts to retirement advantages, or a rise in contributions, had been wanted to fund the ballooning deficit pushed by its dimming outlook for funding returns wanted to fund new pension obligations.

These adjustments got here into impact in April, prompting 1000’s of workers at dozens of campuses to interact in strikes and different industrial motion. They claimed the adjustments had been pointless as a result of it was unfair that the valuation occurred in March 2020 simply as world markets had been plunging.

In a monitoring replace revealed on Monday, the USS mentioned the funding gap had shrunk to £1.6bn due to asset costs surging greater than the rise in its liabilities because the pandemic eased.

Between March 2020 and March 2022, its belongings grew £22.3bn to £88.8bn in contrast with a £9.8bn enhance in the price of pension guarantees over the identical interval to £90.4bn, shrinking the deficit to £1.6bn.

In an electronic mail to lots of of college employers on Monday, Galvin mentioned that whereas not a predictor of what may emerge from the following formal valuation — due in March 2023, the replace indicated that the scheme’s monetary well being was “extra resilient and shifting in the best path”.

On Monday, Galvin, a former chief of The Pensions Regulator, mentioned if the “optimistic expertise” it had monitored over current months grew to become extra established, there was “potential for higher information on the subsequent valuation than at these of the current previous”.

“Had been such a state of affairs to play out, it could be potential for the Joint Negotiating Committee (a part of a scheme’s governance physique) to contemplate rising advantages or reducing contributions (or some mixture of each),” Galvin wrote within the electronic mail to employers.

The College and Faculty Union, which represents many workers, has mentioned the commencement of tens of 1000’s of scholars was more likely to be disrupted on account of the economic motion.

Employees at 21 universities are collaborating in a marking boycott within the essential ultimate time period of the tutorial yr.

UCU didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon the monitoring report.

In a weblog revealed on Monday, Michael Otsuka, who sits on the UCU’s nationwide negotiating workforce, mentioned the improved monetary place made a robust case that advantages that had been lower on April 1 ought to be restored.

He mentioned UCU and Universities UK, which represents the sector, ought to “strongly again” a request for USS to subject a brand new restoration plan based mostly on the improved monetary outlook.

UUK mentioned the “more healthy monetary outlook” was “encouraging”. 

Nevertheless, it mentioned it was on account of current adjustments to the scheme in addition to market actions, and solely associated to a “quick interval”. A extra detailed evaluation can be obtainable in early July, it mentioned.

“We all know a brand new valuation would take many months and divert focus away from elementary reforms,” it mentioned in an announcement.

Sabina Gheduzzi, a lecturer at Bathtub college, tweeted: “Honest to say that many members might be fuming”.

Richard Reeve, professor of inhabitants and ecosystem well being at Glasgow college and a UCU activist, tweeted: “So the #USSmess pension cuts had been pointless, after all! With the revised funding place of the pension fund, it’s time for @USSEmployers to confess their mistake and again a JNC decision calling for a retroactive restoration of the advantages that had been lower on 1 April now!”