How to join
If you are an hourly-paid worker or external examiner contract you are eligible to join the People's Pension. You can join the People's Pension by completing an application form and sending it to the Payroll Office. You will then be enrolled on the scheme and will receive a welcome pack from the People's Pension.
Automatic enrolment
If you are an hourly-paid worker or external examiner you will be assessed for automatic enrolment into the People's Pension every month. If in one month you meet the Eligible Job Holder (EJH) criteria then you will be postponed for three months. The pensions office will write explaining what this means. If on the third month you meet the EJH criteria again you will be automatically enrolled in the People's Pension.
The criteria for an Eligible Job Holder is:
- aged between 22 and State Pension age
- earn more than £10,000 a year
- work mainly in the UK
The People's Pension will send you a welcome pack.
Pension contributions
Contributions are set by the Pensions Regulator, currently these are 3% of earnings above £503.00 per month and the University pay 2%, from the first of April 2019 this will increase to 5% employee contributions and 3% employer contribution.
Opting out
Your welcome pack will explain the online opt-out process and the deadline to do this so that any contributions made can be refunded, typically this is 30 days after receipt of the welcome pack. If you opt-out after this date then you will retain a small benefit with the People's Pension.