Workplace pension contributions: what is it, scheme age, my login - including Scottish Widows, Aviva and Nest

• The IFS has suggested many workers could benefit from employer pension contributions, even if they don’t contribute themselves
• This would help groups like women, part-time workers, and low earners boost retirement savings
• The IFS proposes employers contribute at least 3% of pay, even if employees opt out
• This plan could support the 22% of private sector workers not enrolled due to low earnings
• Check your workplace pension details through HR, payslips or your provider's portal
• Most employees are automatically enrolled in a pension if over 22 and earning £10,000+

There is a “strong case” for most workers to receive money from their employer into a workplace pension, even if they don’t contribute themselves.

According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), this would especially help women, part-time workers, young people, and lower-income earners.

The IFS suggested that employers should contribute at least 3% of an employee's total pay to their pension, whether or not the employee adds their own money.

This could help the 22% of private sector workers who either choose not to join a pension plan or aren’t automatically enrolled because their earnings are too low.

The IFS said that while there’s a risk more employees might stop contributing to their pensions if employers start contributing more, there could be a trial before making any changes.

It also suggested lowering the age for automatic pension enrolment from 22 to 16 and extending it to 74. This would help more people in paid work save for retirement.

The IFS proposed that employees with average and higher incomes should have higher default pension contributions to better boost their savings.

For example, for earnings above £35,000 (the average full-time salary), a 12% contribution rate could apply, with employees contributing the extra amount.

Currently, less than half of private sector workers who save into workplace pensions contribute more than 8% of their earnings. The research was part of the Pensions Review, led by the IFS and supported by the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust.

But how can you find out what your current workplace pension situation is, and adjust or stop your contributions? Here is everything you need to know...

What is a workplace pension?

A workplace pension is a savings plan set up by your employer to help you save for retirement.

If you’re eligible, your employer automatically enrols you in the pension scheme, and both you and your employer contribute to the pension fund.

Contributions are usually a percentage of your salary, with employers often matching or adding to your contributions. The money you contribute is invested in various assets like stocks, bonds or funds to grow over time.

When you retire, you can use the accumulated savings to provide an income, either through withdrawing lump sums, buying an annuity or taking a regular income from a drawdown plan.

What’s my current workplace pension situation?

Most employees are automatically enrolled into a workplace pension if:

• They are over 22 years old.
• Earn more than £10,000 a year.
• Work in the UK.

If you’re not automatically enrolled, this could be because you’re under the earnings threshold or below the age requirement. Even if you're not enrolled automatically, you can ask to join the pension scheme voluntarily.

To check your current workplace pension situation, contact your HR department or employer, and ask for details about your pension provider and how much you and your employer are contributing.

Your payslip will also show how much is being deducted for your pension and the employer's contribution. If you know your provider, you can usually log in online to view your pension balance, contributions and plan details.

How can I change or increase my contributions?

You can increase the amount you contribute to your pension at any time, which will help you to build up a larger retirement fund.

You can request to raise your contributions, often through payroll, but otherwise you can contact your pension provider.

Some of the major pension providers in the UK include:

• Aegon
• Aviva
• Fidelity International
• Legal & General
• Nest (National Employment Savings Trust)
• Royal London
• Scottish Widows
• Standard Life
• The People’s Pension

Some employers will match additional contributions up to a certain limit, meaning if you contribute more, they will too, so it’s worth asking if your employer offers this.

You can also choose to stop contributing to your workplace pension altogether if you prefer not to save through your employer’s scheme.

To do this, notify your employer or the pension provider, usually within one month of enrolment, to get any contributions refunded.

Instead of opting out completely, you can lower your contributions to the minimum required level (currently 5% from the employee, with a 3% contribution from the employer). Contact your employer to adjust your contribution level.

Even if you opt out, employers are required to re-enrol eligible employees into the pension scheme every three years, at which point you can decide whether to opt out again or remain enrolled.

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