Pensions Act 2008


The Pensions Act 2008 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The principal change brought about by the Act is that all workers will have to opt out of an occupational pension plan of their employer, rather than opt in. A second change is the creation of a National [Employment Savings Trust], a public pension provider for those who do not have an occupational pensions, which will function as a low-fee pension scheme in competition with existing funds.

Key provisions

Automatic enrolment

The cornerstone of the Pensions Act 2008 is the introduction of automatic enrolment. This provision requires employers to automatically enrol eligible workers into a qualifying pension scheme. The key aspects of automatic enrolment include:
  • Workers aged between 22 and the State Pension age, earning above a certain threshold, must be automatically enrolled.
  • Instead of choosing to join a pension scheme, workers now have to actively decide to opt out if they do not wish to participate
  • Employers must enrol eligible workers from their first day of employment, although some high-quality schemes may have a three-month deferral period

National Employment Savings Trust (NEST)

The Act provided for the creation of the National Employment Savings Trust, a public pension provider designed to offer a low-fee pension scheme. NEST serves as an alternative for workers who do not have access to an occupational pension scheme through their employer.

Employer contributions

A key feature of the Act is the requirement for employers to contribute to their workers' pension schemes. The minimum contribution rates were phased in over time, starting at 2% of qualifying earnings and increasing in subsequent years.

Implementation timeline

The implementation of the Pensions Act 2008 was staged over several years:
  • October 2012: Large employers began implementing automatic enrolment
  • June 2015 to May 2017: Small and micro employers were brought into the scheme
  • September 2017: The final staging date for the rollout of automatic enrolment

Commencement orders

The act was commenced in force over time by a number of statutory instruments between 2008 and 2018:

Compliance and enforcement

The Pensions Regulator was given responsibility for ensuring compliance with the new regulations. The regulator has the power to issue notices and penalties to employers who fail to meet their obligations under the Act.

Amendments and future developments

Since its enactment, the Pensions Act 2008 has undergone several amendments and updates. These include changes to earnings thresholds, contribution rates, and the expansion of eligibility criteria.