19 May 2026
UCEA comment on the SCAPE discount rate
Responding to today’s Commons announcement by Torsten Bell, the Minister for Pensions, on the SCAPE discount rate*, Raj Jethwa UCEA’s Chief Executive said:
“On behalf of our member institutions with a statutory obligation to offer the TPS, UCEA welcomes confirmation of the new SCAPE discount rate from HM Treasury. This means that TPS employer contribution rates will reduce, potentially significantly, with effect from April 2027. We encourage confirmation of the new contribution rates from government as soon as possible.
“Whilst a reduction in TPS employer contribution rates is clearly good news and provides some relief for institutions, there is still anxiety among UCEA members that it will not address the long-term stability and fundamental challenges facing the HE sector in its statutory obligations to offer TPS**. For most institutions, the changes they are making today are not short-term measures but form part of a strategic approach to address structural inequality and reduced per capita funding in order to achieve long-term financial sustainability.”
Notes
* The Minister’s statement can be found at https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-05-19/hcws37
** For more about the challenges our member HEIs face, please see our Position Paper: Financial Stability in Higher Education: Enabling a Sustainable Approach to Pension Provision
ENDS
For further UCEA information please contact Andy Fryer, Head of Communications and Membership (a.fryer@ucea.ac.uk), Marc Whittaker, Public Affairs and Events Manager (m.whittaker@ucea.ac.uk), Armelle Griffin, Communications Officer (a.griffin@ucea.ac.uk), or Ashleigh Rigden, Communications Officer (a.rigden@ucea.ac.uk)
UCEA comment on the SCAPE discount rate
Responding to today’s Commons announcement by Torsten Bell, the Minister for Pensions, on the SCAPE discount rate*, Raj Jethwa UCEA’s Chief Executive said:
“On behalf of our member institutions with a statutory obligation to offer the TPS, UCEA welcomes confirmation of the new SCAPE discount rate from HM Treasury. This means that TPS employer contribution rates will reduce, potentially significantly, with effect from April 2027. We encourage confirmation of the new contribution rates from government as soon as possible.
“Whilst a reduction in TPS employer contribution rates is clearly good news and provides some relief for institutions, there is still anxiety among UCEA members that it will not address the long-term stability and fundamental challenges facing the HE sector in its statutory obligations to offer TPS**. For most institutions, the changes they are making today are not short-term measures but form part of a strategic approach to address structural inequality and reduced per capita funding in order to achieve long-term financial sustainability.”
Notes
* The Minister’s statement can be found at https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-05-19/hcws37
** For more about the challenges our member HEIs face, please see our Position Paper: Financial Stability in Higher Education: Enabling a Sustainable Approach to Pension Provision
ENDS
For further UCEA information please contact Andy Fryer, Head of Communications and Membership (a.fryer@ucea.ac.uk), Marc Whittaker, Public Affairs and Events Manager (m.whittaker@ucea.ac.uk), Armelle Griffin, Communications Officer (a.griffin@ucea.ac.uk), or Ashleigh Rigden, Communications Officer (a.rigden@ucea.ac.uk)
