Employer pension contributions

[Adultdcs]

Hi all,

This is a bit of a random/personal question. I would like to gain others opinions please.

Regarding the pension, I am full time employed & been with the same company for almost 10yrs.

Due to life changes/seperation etc, I have not felt in a position to personally contribute to my pension for quite a long period of time, including previous employment,

i have approx 15+ years till I reach retirement but due to the fact I I can’t afford the deduction it’s also cheaper for my employer…….

So, question is because I can’t afford the pension deduction, am I being unreasonable that the company should still pay their share given it is personal circumstances?

Exactly this. Auto enrolment was introduced primarily to incentivise people to take responsibility for saving for a time when they are no longer working. The deal is that the employer will make a contribution provided the employee also makes a contribution.

@Adultdcs you have decided you want/ need more money in your pocket in the here and now instead of paying it into the pension fund. Your reasons are irrelevant. The fact is, you are receiving higher net pay because you aren’t contributing. The occupational pension is a shared responsibility: you pay in, they pay in. You don’t, they don’t.

you completely misunderstand the whole concept!

Yes that's how I seen it. I understand why it's perceived as unfair but it's designed as a huge carrot to push people to save for their.retirement

I've always paid in, even when I had no disposable income at all . I see it as a necessary expense like council tax, not an optional one

tbh I don’t even get why anyone could perceive it as unfair. It’s a scheme available to every employee; therefore everyone is treated equitably. It’s not the employer’s business how people carve up their earnings. I know quite a few people who’ve chosen to opt out of their employer’s pension scheme (a poor decision imo but it’s their right.)

@oneinataxioneinacar when we had young children in nursery (back in the days before any childcare subsidies!) the equivalent of my take home pay was spent on the nursery bills. One of my main drivers for remaining in work was to keep my pension contributions unbroken. That’s how important it is.

if someone literally cannot pay into it and needs the money in their pocket now rather than in the future, it still doesn’t mean the employer is being unfair. What would be unfair would be for them to make some weird exception for the OP and pay into her pension while she doesn’t and keeps the money!

Agree.
My nursery bills were more than my mortgage and I was a single mum and never spent a penny on anything non essential (and sometimes skipped meals) but I still paid into my pension. I just saw it as a non negotiable expense. My pot is worth nearly £500k now (in my mid 40s)