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Pension Auto-Enrolment Checker
Work out whether you have auto-enrolment duties for your staff, and get a quick estimate of minimum employer and employee pension contributions for one employee. Two minutes, nothing uploaded.
Answer both questions above to see whether auto-enrolment duties apply.
Qualifying earnings for this salary: £0 (the slice of salary between the lower and upper bands).
Who this is for
UK employers who need a quick first check on whether workplace pension auto-enrolment duties apply, and a ballpark of what minimum statutory contributions would look like for one employee. It is not a substitute for The Pensions Regulator's own duties checker or professional payroll advice.
What is auto-enrolment?
Auto-enrolment is the legal requirement for UK employers to automatically put eligible staff into a workplace pension scheme and pay a minimum employer contribution, unless the staff member opts out. It applies from the day you take on your first member of staff.
What counts as qualifying earnings?
Qualifying earnings are the slice of an employee's pay between a lower and upper threshold (£6,240 to £50,270 for 2026/27 — unchanged from 2025/26) — not their whole salary. Minimum contributions are calculated as a percentage of this banded amount, not gross pay, which is why the contribution figures on this page are usually lower than 8% of the full salary.
Are these contribution figures exact?
No — this shows the statutory minimum only (8% total, split 3% employer / 5% employee, including tax relief on the employee's share for most schemes). Actual scheme rules, higher employer contributions, salary sacrifice arrangements and different definitions of pensionable pay can all change the real figures. Treat this as an estimate to sense-check against your payroll or pension provider.
Where do these thresholds and rates come from?
The earnings trigger and qualifying earnings band are set by the government and reviewed most tax years, so they can change. Always verify the current figures on gov.uk or with The Pensions Regulator before making decisions based on this tool.
What if duties don't apply to me?
If you have no staff aged 22 to State Pension age earning over the trigger, you may only have limited duties (such as monitoring ages and earnings as circumstances change) rather than full auto-enrolment duties. Use The Pensions Regulator's duties checker to confirm your exact position.
Want the pension contribution folded into a full cost picture? Our employee true cost calculator adds employer NI and other overheads on top.
Please note: this tool gives a guide or estimate only. It may not be 100% accurate and is not professional advice — always check the figures before you rely on them. Rates, thresholds, allowances and rules can change without notice and may be out of date by the time you use this tool. Verify against HMRC / GOV.UK or your accountant before acting. This is an estimate of statutory minimum contributions only — everything you type stays in your browser and nothing is uploaded, saved or sent anywhere.
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