University of Bath Group Pension Plan (UoBGPP)

Staff on grades 2 to 5 who start their employment at the University on or after 1st June 2021 are eligible to join the University of Bath Group Pension Plan. This pension plan is administered by Aviva.

All eligible staff are automatically enrolled into the UoBGPP at the default 6% employee contribution rate. In addition the University will contribute 8% of your pensionable pay into this pension plan.

You can change your contribution rate to one of the below rates. You will need to complete the Contribution Adjustment form which you will find under the documents section at the bottom of this page.

For the change to be effective in the next payday, the form must be received by the Payroll deadline.

You will note the University will reward higher employee contributions of 1% with a match of 1.5% up to a maximum employee contribution of 10% at which point the University is contributing an additional 14% into your pension plan.

University of Bath Group Pension Plan.

Contributions	Employee contributions %	Employer contributions %
Reduced contributions	0%	3%
Reduced contributions	1%	3.5%
Reduced contributions	2%	4%
Reduced contributions	3%	4.5%
Reduced contributions	4%	5%
Reduced contributions	5%	6.5%
Default contributions	6%	8%
Additional contributions	7%	9.5%
Additional contributions	8%	11%
Additional contributions	9%	12.5%
Additional contributions	10%	14%

The UoBGPP also offers the following benefits, which are provided by Canada Life:

Death in Service, 6 x salary.
Group Income Protection (ill health), 50% of salary, no pension contributions and cover to age 65 or State Pension Age, deferred for 52 weeks.

Aviva administer the scheme and they send a joining letter and membership certificate within 6 weeks of your start date. If you don't receive your joining letter, please contact AVIVA or the University’s Pension Officer.

The letter details how to register online for the AVIVA pension portal in which you can:

update any changes in your personal details (e.g. home address). All correspondence will be made via this address, so it is very important that you keep this updated.
amend the fund that your pension is invested in.
amend your target retirement date.
use tools and calculators to make pension estimations.
nominate your beneficiary in the event of your death.

Aviva's online services - how do I register?

The best way to keep up to date with your pension, and to find out more information, is to register for Aviva’s online services by visiting its website:

Welcome to MyAviva - Login or Register

The MyAviva app is also available. For further information see:

Manage your policies with the MyAviva app - Aviva

How do I complete or update a death benefit nomination form?

Something which can be overlooked by members, or not updated, is a record of their wishes about who should receive any death benefits that may be payable in the event of their death. Whilst it is not legally binding, your pension provider will take your wishes into consideration when making a decision and so it is important that they are recorded and kept up to date.

You can do this online or through the MyAviva app. Alternatively, you can call them on the number given overleaf or complete this form

How do I change my name or my address on my plan?

You can change your address online, over the telephone or by post.

How can I transfer benefits into my Aviva pension plan?

Every time you change jobs, chances are you will join your new employer’s pension scheme. Over the course of your working life this could amount to several pension plans that you may find hard to keep track of and to manage. Furthermore, over time pension charges and terms will have changed and these legacy contracts may well be making excessively high or punitive charges on the funds they hold on your behalf.

You may therefore want to consolidate your pensions under one contract to make it easier to monitor your overall portfolio and to make sure your pension assets are working for you. However, there can be some disadvantages, including the loss of protected or guaranteed benefits. It is generally possible to transfer most type of pension fund into another plan, including into your current employer’s pension scheme, but it is important to only do so if this is to your advantage. Aviva can support you in making a transfer into your Aviva pension plan (see general contact details) but cannot advise you whether the transfer is in your best interests.

This is a very important decision so we would always recommend that you seek authorised financial advice before proceeding with any transfer, so that you can be sure it is in your best interests to do so.

Further information on pension transfers

Opting out

You can opt out from UoBGPP and the details on how to do this will be sent to you directly from Aviva as part of your starter pack. However, please be aware you have the option of changing your contribution rate to 0%, as detailed above, and the University will still contribute 3% of your pensionable pay to your pension. By staying in the UoBGPP even with a reduced contribution rate you will also retain the death in service and ill health benefits. If you choose to opt out from UoBGPP altogether you will lose these additional benefits. If you would like more information please contact dcpension@bath.ac.uk.

Annual statements

The pension statements will be issued to home addresses in June of each year, if you do not receive one please contact:

AVIVA
PO Box 520
Surrey Street
Norwich
NR1 3WG
email: contactus@aviva.com
Call: 0800 145 5744

Taking retirement

Contact AVIVA when your retirement has been confirmed in writing by HR. Try and give 2 month’s notice to AVIVA to help ensure that your pension payments start on time.

The University will stop further contributions once your retirement has been processed by HR.

Get a retirement quote

Contact AVIVA through their employee portal to get a retirement quote.

Leaving the University

When you leave the University, contributions will stop, but you can choose to leave the pension invested within the scheme or transfer to a new pension provider. You can still access your pension details via the AVIVA pension portal. This will include details of how to transfer and manage your funds.

If you are an overseas national and intend to leave the UK at the end of your University employment, the pension arrangements are exactly the same and at the end of your university employment, the pension can be transferred out to any UK recognised overseas pension scheme. Please check and ensure that AVIVA have your current contact address and details.

Important Documents

Your company pension scheme

Your investment guide

University of Bath Group Pension Plan Contribution Adjustment Form

Guide to Aviva

Contact AVIVA