USS - best options when a terminal diagnosis is received?

Tarama

Hello

A friend has a terminal diagnosis and is seeking to maximize their USS pension.  Does anyone know what the potential  options are because time is limited. Thank you.
 

Nearlyold

Go the USS website, a quick glance via google comes up with various situations and what may be available. 

You can download the relevant explanatory guides as PDF docs from the site.

Brie

sorry to hear about your friend.  Are they of pensionable age?  Do they have any other pensions?  If there is nothing obvious on the website to get to talk to someone try contacting the bereavement team.  I know that sounds morbid but they're the people that deal with the most sensitive issues and should know how to link in to what your friend needs to do. 

Tarama

Nearlyold said:

Go the USS website, a quick glance via google comes up with various situations and what may be available. 

You can download the relevant explanatory guides as PDF docs from the site.

Thank you Nearlyold (interesting title).  I will do this but I think time is limited here and because there are many other issues to be sorted, my friend is not prioritising this one. Therefore,  I want to help with this aspect of things.  I know a fair bit about USS (I am in receipt of a USS pension and working in another HEI and contributing to a USS pension here too.  But I don't know anything about this type of situation and I need to update myself quickly.  I will access the this information on the USS site as soon as I can.

 Brie I hadn't thought of the bearevement team, although  I suspect my friend may not be able to fact this - yet if ever.  I will follow this up.  Thank you.
  

Marcon

Is your friend's USS pension already in payment?

DRS1

Search Results

Have a look at this list - the first item may be most relevant

Tarama

Marcon said:

Is your friend's USS pension already in payment?

Hello Marcon

No it isn't.

Tarama

DRS1 said:

Search Results

Have a look at this list - the first item may be most relevant

Hello DRS1  

Yes on the advice from others here I found this information and thank you for directing me to it.  I think the information here is clear and to answer Marcron's question as my friend's USS pension is not in payment the first  option here may be the best one.

  

GDB2222

If your friend is still in employment, the death in service benefits may be more generous than any other option. In other words, doing nothing may be the best option. 

In any case, you have not given much information. Do they have dependants? Children? Spouse? Roughly how old is your friend?

Tarama

GDB2222 said:

If your friend is still in employment, the death in service benefits may be more generous than any other option. In other words, doing nothing may be the best option. 

In any case, you have not given much information. Do they have dependants? Children? Spouse? Roughly how old is your friend?

Hello 

thank you for your reply.  My friend is still in employment and I am aware of the life cover.  I have given few details because they are not really relevant to what I need to know and this is all so new, difficult and sensitive .  I just need the available options and to help my friend work it all out from this.

Thank you for taking time to reply.  

GDB2222

Tarama said:

GDB2222 said:

If your friend is still in employment, the death in service benefits may be more generous than any other option. In other words, doing nothing may be the best option. 

In any case, you have not given much information. Do they have dependants? Children? Spouse? Roughly how old is your friend?

Hello 

thank you for your reply.  My friend is still in employment and I am aware of the life cover.  I have given few details because they are not really relevant to what I need to know and this is all so new, difficult and sensitive .  I just need the available options and to help my friend work it all out from this.

Thank you for taking time to reply.  

https://www.uss.co.uk/for-members/life-events/what-happens-when-you-die

One of the key questions is whether your friend wants to maximise the benefits that they receive during their lifetime, or whether they want to maximise the benefits paid to their dependants. Hopefully they can work out their options from the website. 

There are some practical issues like making sure that they update their beneficiary nomination. 

I’m a member of USS but have not had to contact them for years, so I don’t know how helpful they would be if you ring them to discuss this. They probably won’t discuss it on a general basis, so you might well need a letter of authority from the member.