Project your auto-enrolment workplace pension pot with employee and employer contributions plus compound growth.
Under auto-enrolment, both you and your employer contribute a percentage of qualifying earnings each year. This projects how that combined contribution grows over time inside your pension pot.
Illustrative estimate only, using simplified/rounded 2026/27 UK figures — not tax advice. Always confirm with HMRC or a qualified UK tax adviser.
Since 2012, UK employers must automatically enrol eligible employees into a workplace pension, with a minimum total contribution of 8% of qualifying earnings — typically split as 5% from the employee (including tax relief) and 3% from the employer, though many employers contribute more. Qualifying earnings are calculated within a band, not on full salary, so the effective percentage of total pay contributed is usually somewhat lower than 8%.
The employee's own contribution benefits from tax relief automatically — for a basic-rate taxpayer, HM Revenue effectively tops up every £80 contributed to £100, with higher and additional-rate taxpayers able to claim further relief through Self Assessment. Employees can opt out, but doing so forfeits the employer's contribution entirely, which is why opting out is usually discouraged unless there is a specific financial reason to prioritise cash now.
If you are aged between 22 and State Pension age, earn above the earnings trigger, and work in the UK, your employer is legally required to enrol you automatically — you can then choose to opt out, but enrolment itself is not optional for the employer to offer.
The pot stays yours and continues growing, though you will typically be auto-enrolled again into the new employer's scheme. Many people end up with several small pension pots across different employers, which can be consolidated later if desired.
Yes, and many people do, especially higher earners looking to reduce taxable income or catch up on retirement saving — most schemes let you increase your own contribution rate, and some employers match additional contributions up to a cap.
Generally not before the UK's normal minimum pension age, which is 55, rising to 57 from 2028, except in specific circumstances like serious ill health. Even after reaching that age, options like drawdown or an annuity affect how and when the money is actually paid out.