AQA cancelling pension contributions for this years examiners

[justanothermumsy]

Just found out through a newsletter that part of my pay for being an examiner that was going to a pension is now not as AQA would like to use more 'modern' contracts. Is any one else affected by this?

Yes, and I'm delighted! It was enough to be annoying and not enough to make any difference to my future.

@MrsHamlet I never find free money annoying! It soon builds up when you examine every year and is super simple just to move out to your own provider annually. It's a way of AQA saving money on employing you and then pretending they are doing everyone a favour by paying a couple of pennies more per script this year than last. Are you happy about having to fill in a tax return now you are self-employed? I already have to fill in a tax return but I can imagine this would be annoying for someone who is used to PAYE

I've been filling in a tax return for years. My accountant does it.

@justanothermumsy
Why would you need to do a tax return if they're not paying pension contributions?
Is that also due to the contract changes? That they're not going to tax the pay??
I've marked on and off for a good few years but never had to fill in a tax return before? Thanks!

I am happy about it too, the amount saved in that account would be so small. Just annoyed about previous years money stuck in it, I opted out the first year they offered it and misse the fact i had to re opt out every year.

Also we are getting holiday pay this year for the first time 👍

@June2008 depends on your income. AQA aren't going to pay your tax for you now as you are not employed by them yoh are now self-employed as a contractor. Self employed people have to declare and pay tax to HMRC yourself. You will have to do a tax return to do that and once you start on tax returns you will need to do one every year x

Tax returns aren't difficult to complete. Once you have got your P60, it's a fairly straightforward job.

@justanothermumsy
Thank you for clarifying! I had no idea - and this change was not highlighted clearly by AQA. Maybe I'm naive, but I didn't realise the implications going forward. I haven't got time to faff about with a tax return! Just had a chat with my accountant husband who does a return each year, and he confirmed what you said. I think this is enough to persuade me to withdraw from the contract. No wonder they're still looking for Examiners!

@June2008 if you're only doing one contact per year plus your main job, it's really not a massive job to fill in a return

@MrsHamlet my point isn't about whether or not it's easy to fill in a tax return.

The issue is the AQA have not highlighted this change clearly and made the change after everyone signed up. There will be lots of teachers who are now put in a position of having to fill in a tax return and once you start doing them you are doing them every year and it's really difficult if not impossible to go back to PAYE only. The vast majority of teachers whose only way of working is PAYE are not going to want this extra faff and it is a faff.

@June2008 it's really annoying isn't it. I emailed and they said 'we are sorry it's come as a surprise we sent a newsletter out last year saying we were looking at changing contracts'. I have a letter dated just in the last month saying I've been enrolled into the pension so seems a very last minute change. The more people who email them and ask for clarity the better!

I think this will definitely make me think twice about which exam board I examine for in the future

I've checked with AQA, and we don't need to do a self assessment tax return. The only change is the pension contributions, we'll be taxed at source as usual. We've always been self employed contractors, although why that means we were entitled to employer pension contributions before and now we're not, is beyond me.

@Hayliebells yes there is a special arrangement for examiners to be taxed at source. Not sure about other roles in AQA. The pension contribution is small but it's the total lack of communication and also how misleading it has all been