Private pensions

Workplace, personal and stakeholder pensions

In general, Northern Ireland’s pensions policy and legislation operate in line with corresponding pension provision in Great Britain. In effect, there is a single system of pensions across the UK. Additionally, the pensions regulatory regime, for example, the Pensions Regulator, the Pensions Ombudsman and the Pension Protection Fund, operates UK wide.

Automatic enrolment

Employers are required to automatically enrol eligible workers into a qualifying pension scheme, if they are not already in one.

Both workers and employers pay into the pension, and the Government also contributes in the form of tax relief.

Automatic enrolment helps to address the issues that prevent people from saving into a pension scheme, such as:

• pensions saving being complicated and confusing;
• people simply not getting around to it;
• a lack of suitable pension products being available for people on low to moderate incomes; and
• lack of employer pension provision, particularly in smaller firms.

The Pensions Regulator gives employers guidance and tools to help them to comply with their automatic enrolment duties.

• Automatic Enrolment Review 2017: Maintaining the Momentum
• The Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Bill Equality Impact Assessment Final Report

Contracting-out has ended

The Pensions Act 2014 and the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 introduced a new State Pension in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for people reaching State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016. The new scheme replaced the basic and additional State Pension and ended contracting-out and the National Insurance rebate. To assist employers and employees, fact sheets and overviews in relation to the ending of contracting-out prepared by the Department for Work and Pensions and HM Revenue and Customs are available from the Gov.UK site at the link provided below. References in the guidance to the Pensions Act 2014 should be taken as including references to the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015.

More information:

• Gov.uk guidance on the ending of contracting-out
• nidirect: Our State Pension is changing

Statutory Guidance – Occupational and Personal Pensions

• Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes – Statutory Guidance

Workplace pension information line

Telephone: 0345 600 0707
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

Useful links

For workers:

• www.nidirect.gov.uk/workplacepensions

For employers:

• www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/employers.aspx
• www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/pensions for employers

The Money Helper website also provides guidance on:

• Automatic enrolment in workplace pensions
• Pensions
• Financial advice