Am I entitled to redundancy pay?

You are entitled to statutory redundancy pay if you have worked for your employer for at least 2 continuous years. The amount depends on your age, length of service and weekly pay, capped at £751 per week.

What is unfair dismissal?

Unfair dismissal occurs when your employer dismisses you without a fair reason or without following a fair procedure. You need 2 years of service to claim, reducing to 6 months from January 2027.

When is statutory sick pay paid?

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is now paid from Day 1 of illness following the Employment Rights Act 2025. The current rate is £123.25 per week for up to 28 weeks.

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🏦 Pensions Guide

Workplace Pensions & Auto-Enrolment: Your Rights in 2026

Not sure if you're being enrolled in a pension, what your employer must contribute, or what to do if something seems wrong? This guide covers auto-enrolment, pension rights and what you're entitled to.

✅ Last verified: July 2026📚 Sources: GOV.UK, ACAS, Citizens Advice🇬🇧 Applies across the UK

⚖ Know Your Rights at a Glance

Auto-enrolment: Employers must automatically enrol eligible workers into a workplace pension scheme.
Eligible workers: Aged 22–State Pension age, earning over £10,000/year, working in the UK.
Minimum contributions (2026): Employer must contribute at least 3% of qualifying earnings; total minimum is 8% (employer 3% + employee 5%).
Opt-out right: You can opt out within 1 month of enrolment and get your contributions refunded. But you lose employer contributions too.
Re-enrolment: Employers must re-enrol opted-out workers every 3 years.
State Pension: Currently £221.20/week (2024/25). Requires 35 qualifying NI years for the full amount.

Auto-enrolment — what your employer must do

Under the Pensions Act 2008, employers must automatically enrol eligible workers into a qualifying workplace pension and make minimum contributions. Eligible workers are:

Aged between 22 and State Pension age
Earning more than £10,000 per year
Working in the UK

If you earn between £6,240 and £10,000 you can ask to be enrolled voluntarily and your employer must allow this, but they do not have to contribute. Under £6,240: you can ask to join but no employer contribution is required.

Your employer must provide a pension scheme, enrol you automatically, pay their contributions on time, give you information about the scheme, and not encourage or induce you to opt out.

Contribution rates

Minimum contributions are calculated on qualifying earnings — the band between £6,240 and £50,270 per year (2026/27):

Contributor	Minimum %
Employer	3%
Employee	5% (including tax relief)
Total	8%

Many employers and schemes contribute more than the minimum. Check your payslip to see how much is going in and whether your employer is contributing correctly.

Opting out and re-enrolment

You have the right to opt out of your workplace pension within 1 month of being enrolled. If you opt out in time, any contributions you have made will be refunded. However, you also lose your employer's contributions for that period.

Every 3 years, your employer must re-enrol all eligible workers who have opted out. You can opt out again, but the cycle repeats. Opting out permanently costs you significant long-term retirement savings and employer contributions — think carefully before doing so.

The State Pension

The new State Pension (for those reaching State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016) is currently £221.20 per week (2024/25 rate). You need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits to receive the full amount. 10 qualifying years is the minimum to receive any State Pension.

Check your State Pension forecast at gov.uk/check-state-pension. If you have gaps in your NI record, you may be able to pay voluntary Class 3 contributions to fill them.

Check your payslip for pension deductions

Your payslip should show your pension contribution being deducted. If you're eligible and nothing is showing, ask your employer why.

Check your employer is contributing

Log into your pension scheme's online portal (NEST, People's Pension, Aviva etc.) and check both your and your employer's contributions are going in correctly.

Report missing contributions to The Pensions Regulator

If your employer isn't paying into your pension, report to The Pensions Regulator at thepensionsregulator.gov.uk or 0345 600 1011.

Check your State Pension forecast

gov.uk/check-state-pension shows how much you're on track to receive and flags any gaps in your NI record.

Consider filling NI gaps

If you have gaps that will reduce your State Pension, you can pay voluntary Class 3 NI contributions. Deadlines apply — get advice from HMRC.

🏦 Check Your Pension Rights

Describe your pension situation and get guidance on what you're entitled to.

Use the Free Checker →

Frequently asked questions

My employer hasn't enrolled me in a pension — what can I do?

If you are eligible (22–State Pension age, earning over £10,000, working in UK) your employer must auto-enrol you. Report non-compliance to The Pensions Regulator.

Can my employer encourage me to opt out?

No. It is illegal for an employer to induce or encourage workers to opt out of pension saving. Report any such pressure to The Pensions Regulator.

What pension scheme will I be enrolled into?

Your employer chooses the scheme, but it must meet minimum standards. NEST is the government-backed default; many employers use People's Pension, Aviva, Legal & General or others.

I'm self-employed — do I get auto-enrolled?

No. Auto-enrolment only covers workers employed by someone else. Self-employed people must make their own pension arrangements, often through a SIPP (Self-Invested Personal Pension).

What happens to my pension if I leave my job?

Your pension pot stays with the provider — you don't lose it. You can leave it where it is, transfer it to your new employer's scheme, or consolidate multiple pots with a provider of your choice.

Can my employer take money from my pension?

No. Once contributions are paid into your pension, they belong to you. Your employer cannot access them. Even if the company goes bust, your pension pot is protected separately.

What is NEST?

NEST (National Employment Savings Trust) is the government-backed workplace pension scheme. Employers can use it to meet their auto-enrolment duties. It charges a 0.3% annual management charge and a 1.8% charge on contributions.

📞 Free help and support

The Pensions Regulator: 0345 600 1011 | thepensionsregulator.gov.uk

Money and Pensions Service: moneyandpensionsservice.org.uk

Citizens Advice: 0800 144 8848

⚠ Important disclaimer: This guide covers workplace pensions across the UK as at July 2026. General legal information only — not legal advice. Verify with ACAS, GOV.UK or Citizens Advice before acting. ukworkrights.co.uk — Not a law firm.