# Durham University Pension Scheme

Durham University Pension Scheme is a Pension Fund based in Durham, United Kingdom.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Pension Fund
- **Headquarters:** Durham, United Kingdom
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** Durham, United Kingdom
- **Founded:** 1832
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** durham.ac.uk
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/durham-university

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Durham University Pension Scheme (DUPS) functions as the employer-sponsored retirement vehicle for eligible staff in grades 1 through 5 who joined the university before November 2024. It operates alongside the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), which covers higher-grade academic and professional staff. DUPS represents one layer of a two-tier pension architecture at Durham, with the scheme closed to new entrants as of the November 2024 cutoff. The scheme holds a diversified portfolio typical of UK defined benefit plans, spanning public equities, fixed income, and a direct property allocation that includes the Waterside Building, a prominent riverside commercial asset in Durham city centre. Barnett Waddingham LLP serves as scheme administrator and provides actuarial and investment advisory services, effectively acting as the outsourced investment office. The scheme participates in the Public Sector Transfer Club, a network that facilitates pension transfers between public sector bodies across the UK. Asset allocation and deployment figures are not publicly disclosed. The scheme's governance sits within Durham University's human resources and finance oversight structure, with fiduciary responsibility ultimately held by the university as sponsoring employer. St Chad's College, one of Durham's constituent colleges, appears as a participating employer, extending the scheme's reach beyond the university's core operations. The structural differentiator is the scheme's position within a fractured pension ecosystem at a single institution. Grade 1–5 staff sit in DUPS; grade 6 and above sit in USS.

## Questions

### How does DUPS differ from the Universities Superannuation Scheme at Durham?

DUPS covers staff in grades 1 through 5 who joined before November 2024, while the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) covers higher-grade academic and professional staff in grade 6 and above. They are separate legal arrangements with different administrators, investment strategies, and governance structures. The scheme closed to new entrants effective November 1, 2024.

### Is the Durham University Pension Scheme still open to new members?

No. The scheme closed to new entrants effective November 1, 2024. Only employees in grades 1 to 5 whose continuous employment with the university began before that date remain eligible, and membership requires an active opt-in. This closure signals the scheme's transition to run-off status as the active membership base narrows over time.

### Does DUPS participate in any external pension transfer networks?

Yes, the scheme is a member of the Public Sector Transfer Club, a UK-wide network that facilitates the transfer of pension rights between participating public sector schemes. This allows staff moving between eligible employers to consolidate their pension benefits without the friction of individual buy-out calculations.

## Related profiles

- [Durham County Council Pension Fund](https://altss.com/profile/durham-county-council-pension-fund)
- [Stichting Pensioenfonds voor de Gezondheid, Geestelijke en Maatschappelijke Belangen](https://altss.com/profile/dutch-pension-for-the-healthcare-insurance-industry)

---

Updated: 2026-08-11T02:43:31.692Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/durham-university-pension-scheme

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology