Are auto-enrolment minimum pension contributions going up?

The short answer: Not yet. In 2026/27 the minimum is still 8% of your earnings between £6,240 and £50,270, with at least 3% from your employer. The Pensions Commission is looking at higher minimums, but its final report isn't due until spring 2027. It says any rate rise won't come in this parliament.

The quick version

• The 8% minimum (3% employer, 5% you) hasn't changed since April 2019.

• The government froze the 2026/27 earnings limits to keep things stable while the Pensions Commission does its work.

• The Commission's final report is planned for spring 2027. It says any change in rates "would not be for the current parliament".

• Industry groups keep calling for higher minimums, but nothing has been decided.

• Auto-enrolment doesn't cover the self-employed, so if you work for yourself the minimum is whatever you choose to pay.

What are the minimum auto-enrolment pension contributions in 2026/27?

The legal minimum is 8% of your "qualifying earnings". Your employer must pay at least 3% and you pay the rest. The official guidance sets out the split: 3% from your employer, 5% from you, 8% in total, from April 2019. Your 5% includes tax relief from the government.

Qualifying earnings are the slice of your pay between two limits. In most schemes, that's your total earnings between £6,240 and £50,270 a year before tax. That includes wages, bonuses, overtime and statutory pay such as maternity pay.

Capital at risk. The value of your pension can go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you pay in.

Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future.

These limits didn't move this year. In December 2025, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) kept every threshold at its 2025/26 level for 2026/27. It said it wanted policy stability while the Pensions Commission does its work.

Figures from The Pensions Regulator's earnings thresholds. They assume a standard pay period; your employer may use different periods.

Your employer must enrol you if you're aged between 22 and State Pension age, earn at least £10,000 a year and usually work in the UK. These are minimums. Your scheme rules may mean you or your employer pay more.

Example: what 8% looks like on a £30,000 salary

Here's a made-up example, with round numbers, for someone earning £30,000 a year in a scheme that uses qualifying earnings and relief at source.

1. Qualifying earnings: £30,000 minus £6,240 = £23,760.

2. Your employer pays 3%: £712.80 a year.

3. You pay 5%: £1,188 a year. Of that, £950.40 comes from your pay and £237.60 is basic-rate tax relief added by the provider.

4. Total going in: £1,900.80 a year, or £158.40 a month.

That 4:3:1 split matches GOV.UK's own example: you put in £40, your employer £30, tax relief £10, so £80 goes into your pension. Under relief at source, your provider claims basic-rate relief at 20% and adds it to your pot.

Notice that the first £6,240 of pay earns no contribution at all. That's why 8% of qualifying earnings works out at about 6.3% of this person's full salary.

Are auto-enrolment contributions going up?

Not now, and not soon. There's no confirmed date or new rate. What's happening is a review.

The second Pensions Commission was launched on 21 July 2025. Its interim report, Pensions 2050: evidence and future priorities, came out on 19 May 2026. Its final report is planned for spring 2027.

In that report, the Commission says it will consider how eligibility, income thresholds and minimum contribution rates need to change. It also says any change in rates "would not be for the current parliament", and that employers would get notice and a phased start.

The pressure for change is real, though:

• On 29 September 2026, the chair of the Association of Consulting Actuaries called for higher minimum auto-enrolment contributions as part of long-term policy.

• After the interim report, the TUC said the plan would need higher employer contributions, and Broadstone said higher minimum rates will be part of the debate.

• When the thresholds were frozen, AJ Bell's Rachel Vahey said the yearly check had "the whiff of a tick box exercise".

These are calls, not decisions. So for now, your payslip should look much the same.

What could change, and when?

There are three main levers. One already has a law behind it, but nothing has been switched on.

The first two come from the Pensions (Extension of Automatic Enrolment) Act 2023. It lets the government lower the age and reduce or remove the lower limit by regulations, after a consultation. The estimates come from the Commission's interim report. It splits that £499 into £250 from you, £187 from your employer and £62 of tax relief.

To picture "from the first pound", take our £30,000 example. At 8% of the full £30,000, total payments would be £2,400 a year instead of £1,900.80. That's an illustration, not a proposal.

What is the lowest I can pay into my workplace pension?

If you've been auto-enrolled, it's usually 5% of qualifying earnings, including tax relief. In some schemes your employer pays more than 3%, and then you can pay less, as long as the total still meets the 8% minimum.

You have a few other options too:

• You may be able to reduce what you pay for a short time. Check with your employer and provider first.

• You can opt out. If you leave within a month of being enrolled, you get back what you've paid in. But you also lose your employer's payments, and you'll be re-enrolled every 3 years.

• If you earn under £10,000, you can still ask to join, and your employer can't refuse. It must pay in too if you earn more than £520 a month.

Does auto-enrolment apply to self-employed people?

No. Auto-enrolment works through an employer, so if you're self-employed nobody enrols you or pays in for you. The Commission notes there's no auto-enrolment for the roughly 4 million self-employed workers in the UK. Only 17% of them save into a pension, and just 4% of those who earn only from self-employment.

So any change to the 8% minimum wouldn't touch your own pension. You can still pay in on your own terms. The official guidance lists Nest, a workplace scheme self-employed people can use, or a personal or stakeholder pension. Our guide to the differences between workplace, personal and State Pensions explains each one.

Tax relief still applies. You can get relief on pension payments of up to 100% of your earnings, within the £60,000 annual allowance. Here's how pension tax relief works when you're self-employed. If your income goes up and down, you might like ways to pay into a pension on an irregular income.

Is the minimum 8% enough for retirement?

For many people, probably not on its own. The Pensions Commission says auto-enrolment minimums alone won't give many people an adequate retirement income.

Its numbers make for uncomfortable reading:

• Around 15 million people, or 43% of working-age adults, are undersaving.

• One in 3 eligible private sector employees pays only the minimum. For the lowest paid, it's 1 in 2.

• The minimum "has become more of a norm than a minimum".

The government's launch paper adds that the typical rate has stayed at 8% of total pay since 2019 for private sector savers.

How much is "enough" depends on your plans, your State Pension and other savings. Everyone's situation is different, so we can't say what's right for you. You can play with the numbers in our flexible pension calculator.

What can I do now?

No need to act today, but these checks only take a few minutes.

1. Look at your payslip and check what you and your employer pay.

2. Ask your employer if it pays on qualifying earnings or on all your pay.

3. Check whether your employer matches extra payments. Some do, which you can raise when you look at the money side of a job offer.

4. If you're self-employed, check what you're paying in yourself, if anything.

5. For free, impartial help, try MoneyHelper or Pension Wise.

Still got questions?

When will the Pensions Commission make its recommendations? Its final report is planned for spring 2027. The government then decides what to do with them.

Will my take-home pay drop next April? Not because of auto-enrolment minimums. The rates are unchanged and the 2026/27 limits are frozen.

Do I pay pension on my whole salary? Not always. Many schemes use qualifying earnings, so the first £6,240 is left out. About 4 in 10 employers use total pay instead.

I have two jobs. Do they add up? No. The £10,000 trigger applies to each job separately, so you might not be enrolled in either.

Can I join a workplace pension at 18? Usually, yes, if you ask. Auto-enrolment starts at 22 today, but you can opt in younger.