Save more into my pension
Find out how much your employer saves into your pension on your behalf, and how you can save more for the retirement you want.
Employer contributions
To meet auto-enrolment requirements, at least 8% of your pensionable salary must be paid into your pension each month.
Your pensionable salary is usually your basic pay, but it may be higher or lower depending on your circumstances, for example, if allowances are included. If you are unsure what counts, your employer can confirm this for you.
Your employer will decide how much they contribute, but it will be at least 4% of your pensionable salary, plus the cost of your life cover. The remaining amount is made up of your contributions.
Tax relief and how your contributions work
Your pension contributions are taken straight from your monthly salary, which means you receive tax relief automatically.
In simple terms, this makes saving into your pension more affordable:
- If you’re a 20% taxpayer, saving £100 only reduces your take-home pay by £80
- If you’re a 40% taxpayer, saving £100 only costs you £60
If you don’t pay tax, you won’t receive tax relief, but you will still benefit from your employer’s contributions.
Your Annual Allowance
There is a limit to how much can be paid into your pension each tax year before tax. This is known as your Annual Allowance.
The limit includes everything paid into your pension, such as:
- your contributions
- your employer’s contributions
For example, if you and your employer together pay in £5,000 over the tax year, that amount counts towards your Annual Allowance.
If you go over the limit, you may need to pay a tax charge.
You can find out more about Annual Allowance at www.gov.uk/tax-on-your-private-pension/annual-allowance
Saving your own money into your pension
Monthly contributions
You can save extra into your pension to increase your retirement income. This is called saving Additional Voluntary Contributions, or AVCs. You can only save AVCs while you are an active member.
Your AVCs buy you extra pension in the same way your usual contributions do.
The easiest way is to save a monthly amount through your salary. Your employer’s Payroll team will take this from your salary, so you receive immediate tax relief at your top rate of tax.
You have control over how much you save. You can increase, decrease, stop or start at any time. To start saving or change your AVCs, talk to your Payroll team. They will adjust your monthly pay, and let us know too.
Saving a lump sum
Saving a lump sum can be a great way to give your AVCs a big boost. But be careful, you only receive tax relief on your taxable earnings.
If you are thinking of saving a large amount, speak to a financial adviser first to check how much tax you can claim back.
As you will have already paid tax on your lump sum, you can claim the tax back by completing a self-assessment tax return at www.gov.uk/self-assessment-tax-returns
HMRC usually refunds you after the tax year has ended.
What difference does saving more into my pension make?
Saving extra money into your pension can give your retirement savings a healthy boost.
Saving an extra £50 a month into your pension for 10 years can make a significant difference, thanks to the power of compound interest. Here's a simplified example to illustrate the potential growth, assuming you started saving at age 40:
£50
Monthly contribution
£600
Annual contribution
£6,000
Total over 10 years
By the end of 10 years, your total contributions of £6,000 could buy you an extra £515 p.a., assuming your pension increases by 2% each year.
Don't forget, you get tax relief on your contributions so if you are a 20% tax-payer, it will only cost you £4,800.
Keep in mind that adjustments can vary, and this example is based on a simplified calculation.
estimated annual taxable income for the rest of your life
Should I save more into my pension?
Saving extra money into your pension comes with great tax advantages, but there are things to think about before saving more.
Find a balance with other savings
Saving into your pension means your money is locked away until you retire. A balanced way to save might include saving into an ISA (or other types of investment), which gives you immediate access to your money if you need it. This could give you a good mix of saving for the long term, and having access to money at moments that matter.
Retirement goals
It is worth thinking about the lifestyle you want in retirement. Will your current savings get you there? If you need to save more, and you can afford to do this, topping up your pension will help.
Start early with little and often
The sooner you start, the more time your pension has to grow. Saving little and often each month can be more affordable than saving larger amounts closer to retirement.
Regular contributions help you build your pension steadily over time. Smaller, frequent amounts may be easier to fit into your budget.
Add a one off lump sum
If you have money set aside and would like to add this to your pension, check you can afford to make a big lump sum contribution without impacting your financial stability.
A balanced approach might work best. If you can make both regular small contributions and occasional larger ones, you might be able to maximise the benefits of both strategies.
How much money do I need to retire well?
Step 1 - check yourself against the Retirement Living Standard
The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association conducts annual research on the sort of budget you might need in retirement depending on whether you are targeting a ‘minimum’ ‘moderate’ or a ‘comfortable’ standard.
TAKEWAY ACTION
Get up-to-date figures from all your pensions, including the State Pension, and compare your potential retirement income against the Retirement Living Standards.
Remember, these are amounts you need after tax, and assume you will not have mortgage or rent costs in retirement.
Step 2 - decide what to do next
If you're on track for the level of retirement you're hoping for, then keep on going. If you are behind where you would like or need to be, then you still have time to save more money.
If you can afford to, saving more money will boost your retirement income and bring you closer to the level you are hoping for.