Understanding UK Workplace Pensions: A Guide for Employers · BUSINESSFIRST (2024)

Workplace pensions are retirement savings plans provided by employers to help employees prepare for their future.

These pensions offer a structured way to save money for retirement, often with contributions from both the employee and the employer. They come with various benefits, such as tax advantages and investment growth, making them valuable to an employee’s financial plan.

In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know about business pensions, including their function, who benefits from them, and more.

How Do Workplace Pension Schemes Work?

Knowing about your pension is very important so that you can avoid and handle issues like mis-sold pension claims.

There are two main types of workplace pensions:

1. Defined Contribution

This is the most common type of pension today. Employees and their employers make regular payments to the pension. The employee’s contributions come from their salary before taxes, and the employer adds their share.

Employees typically must contribute at least 5% to receive the employer’s contribution. The money is then invested in a pension fund, and the amount accumulated at retirement depends on the total contributions and the fund’s performance.

2. Defined Benefit

Also known as a “final salary scheme,” this type calculates your retirement benefits based on your salary and how long you worked for the company. These are becoming rare, mostly seen in public sector jobs.

Some other pension schemes are hybrid pension schemes, group personal pension schemes, NEST, master trust pension schemes, and self-invested personal pension schemes.

There are different ways that your boss will contribute to your employees’ pensions:

1. Salary Sacrifice: Employees give up part of their gross salary, which the employer puts directly into their pension. This method often lowers both the employee’s and employer’s tax and National Insurance costs. However, it can affect the employee’s salary and benefits and might lower earnings below the minimum wage, which is illegal.
2. Net Pay Arrangement: You take pension contributions from employees’ gross pay before calculating taxes.
3. Relief At Source: Pension contributions are taken from the employee’s net pay after tax. The pension provider reclaims the tax relief from HMRC and adds it to the pension pot.

Do I Qualify for a Workplace Pension?

To qualify for a workplace pension, you need to be an ‘eligible employee’. This means:

• You are legally considered a ‘worker’ (as per government guidelines).
• You are between 22 and State Pension age.
• You earn at least £10,000 a year (about £520 a month, £120 a week, or £480 every 4 weeks).
• You work in the UK.

You may not qualify if:

• You have given or received notice that you’re leaving your job.
• You already have a pension that meets auto-enrolment rules.
• You opted out of an employer pension scheme in the last 12 months.
• You are in a limited liability partnership.
• You are a company director without an employment contract and employ fewer than one person.

Note: It’s also important to be aware of issues like bad pension advice, which can affect your pension eligibility and management. For the complete list of criteria and to ensure you’re receiving proper advice, check the government’s guide to workplace pensions.

What is Auto-Enrolment and How Does It Work?

Auto-enrolment requires employers to automatically sign up eligible employees into a workplace pension scheme. Employees should be auto-enrolled if they:

• Are at least 22 years old
• Work in the UK
• Have not reached State Pension age
• Earn more than £9,440 a year
• Are part of a qualifying pension scheme

Employees can opt out after being enrolled, but they must first be signed up. Employers cannot simply ask employees to opt out before enrolling them.

Employers must ensure all eligible workers contribute at least 8% of their earnings to their pension. The employer needs to contribute at least 3%, while the employee, with government tax relief, covers the remaining amount. Some pension providers may allow a grace period for contributions if an employee opts out soon after joining.

What Happens to My Workplace Pension When I Leave My Company?

When you leave your job, you have a few options for your workplace pension:

1. Leave It Where It Is: You can keep your pension with your old employer. Although you and your employer won’t make any more contributions, your pension will remain invested and may grow over time. Keep track of your pension provider and policy number, and when you retire, you can access your savings.
2. Transfer It to a New Provider: You can move your pension to a new provider if you change jobs or start working for yourself. Some pension schemes allow you to continue contributing after leaving, but you won’t get any more contributions from your former employer.

Conclusion

Understanding UK workplace pensions is crucial for employers to ensure compliance and effectively manage their pension schemes.

By setting up a suitable pension plan, such as auto-enrolment, and adhering to legal requirements, employers can provide valuable benefits to their employees while optimizing costs.

Stay informed about pension regulations and best practices to successfully get the best of workplace pensions.