Already a pension member?
If you are already a member of one of the University pension schemes, auto-enrolment will not affect you whilst you remain an active member.
Not a pension member?
If you are not in a pension scheme, you have the right to ask to join a scheme and the University may enrol you in the appropriate scheme. This applies to all employees, including those on variable hours contracts and those who have been re-employed after taking their full pension, and to all casual and other workers contracted to the University.
If you are not a pension member and have not previously been auto-enrolled, the University will have a duty to assess you for automatic enrolment. This assessment will take place monthly. If you are aged between 22 and the State Pension Age, have earnings of more than £833 a month, based on 2019/20 thresholds, (or the equivalent if you are paid other than monthly) and work or ordinarily work in the UK, the University must automatically enrol you in a qualifying pension scheme. The University must do this even if you have previously opted out of a University pension scheme. You, and the University, will start to pay contributions to the pension.
If you are auto-enrolled in this way, you can choose to opt out, but you must do this within one month if you wish to receive a refund of contributions. If you do choose to opt out, the University has a duty to re-enrol you every three years if you remain eligible.
As the University and Colleges are separate employers, they must apply their auto-enrolment duties separately to the respective elements of joint or multiple appointments. If you hold multiple contracts within the University you will, as a general rule, be assessed for auto-enrolment separately under each contract. This means that you are likely to receive separate letters for each contract and will have to take separate action, including if you wish to opt out, in response to each.
Marie Curie researchers should find out more about their pension contributions from their departmental administrator.