Northumbria to freeze pay if staff refuse TPS-USS pension switch

The shape of things to come.

The two schemes are broadly comparable with respect to the DB element applicable in the case of USS up to a retirement salary level which is that for many academics; it is debatable how much value to attach to the DC component within USS (some might welcome the flexibility it offers). But the worrying difference could be the restricted inflation-proofing of USS pensions in payment - I think TPS is more generous; pensions with limited proofing can be eroded very quickly once we get a Government that loses control of inflation as in the 1970s…

"more commonly offered to staff at older institutions". No, not "older". The reference is to institutions that were part of the University sector before 1992, compared to those HE institutions (the majority) that were not. Many of the so-called "older" institutions, like Lancaster, York, Essex, Stirling, Open etc, were only formed in the 1960s, while many of the so-called "younger" institutions date back to the technological institutions of the Victorian era and even before - example: the University of Lancashire grew from the Preston Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge established on 19 November 1828, while nearby Lancaster University was not inaugurated until 1964. The latter is the older institution, not the former as is widely assumed. The former Higher Education Funding Council for England discovered this when it rather foolishly invented a fund for "historic buildings", designed to compensate Oxford and Cambridge University Colleges for the loss of College fees when Tony Blair's Labour government in 1997 introduced a student contribution to fees and abolished any "top-ups" or additional fees paid out of the public or student purse that had been milked by collegial institutions for decades. HEFCE was staffed by former employers from the pre-92 University sector who assumed that as they were the most ancient universities with lots of historic buildings, it was a good way of compensating Oxbridge for loss of public funding (like they were In dire straits!). In fact a large part of the funding went to the former polytechnics in England, many of whom had significant Victorian buildings amongst their estate that had been permanently occupied for over a century. The plate glass 1960s 'new' universities didn't get a penny and were very miffed - the funding had to be phased out when HEFCE realised their mistake.

How is this possible given USS's exclusivity rule? USS Rule 45.1 states that "An institution shall not be entitled to participate, or to continue to participate, in the scheme, if it establishes, maintains or contributes to any other pension scheme for eligible employees or excluded post employees." (https://www.uss.co.uk/about-us/scheme-rules)