Reviewing your pension contributions

 As you approach retirement, you probably want to know when you can afford to stop working. Having worked hard throughout your career you deserve to enjoy your retirement without having to worry about your finances. It may be worth reviewing your pension contributions to make sure you are taking advantage of the incentives offered by the government and your employer.

Make the most of tax relief… 

The government tops up your pension contributions in the form of tax relief at your highest rate of income tax to encourage you to save. Basic rate taxpayers receive tax relief of 20%, while higher rate and additional rate taxpayers can claim back 20% and 25% respectively through their tax returns.

…and understand employer contributions 

Since 2012, employers have been legally obliged to automatically enrol employees in a pension scheme, although you can opt out. As an incentive, employers top up employee contributions. The government increased the minimum contribution to 8% from April 2019 – at least 3% from employers with employees making up the balance. It is worth remembering that the employee’s contribution includes tax relief.

Are you saving enough? 

There are no fixed rules about how much you should contribute to your pension because of course everyone’s circumstances are different. However, one rule of thumb is to take the age you started saving and divide it by two to give you the percentage of your salary which you might wish to put away each year. So, if you set up your pension at the age of 30, you could aim to pay in 15% of your salary.

Stick within the limits 

There are rules covering how much you can contribute, and you could face a hefty tax bill if you break them. The annual allowance for the 2019/20 tax year is £40,000 or your full salary (whichever is lower).
There is also the lifetime allowance – the maximum amount you can withdraw from a pension scheme. It is currently £1,055,000 and likely to increase with inflation. It’s probably wise to keep a close eye on the value of your pension if it starts approaching this limit.
Deciding whether or not you can afford to retire is a significant consideration, and so it makes good sense to regularly review how much you are saving and ensure you are taking full advantage of any incentives.