The minimum total contributions under auto-enrolment have been set down by the government and have increased in stages.

The minimum total contribution to the scheme is usually based on your ‘qualifying earnings’. These are your earnings from employment before income tax and National Insurance contributions are deducted, that fall between a lower and upper earnings limit (between £6,240 and £50,270 for the current tax year). Earnings from employment can include your wages or salary, commission, and bonuses, amongst other things.

If your employer decides to pay only the minimum amount, the minimum total contribution, as a percentage of your qualifying earnings is:

 

Dates	Employer minimum contribution	Employee contribution	Tax relief on employee contribution	Total minimum contribution
Before 5 April 2018	1%	0.8%	0.2%	2%
6 April 2018 to 5 April 2019	2%	2.4%	0.6%	5%
6 April 2019 onwards	3%	4%	1%	8%

 

Your employer will tell you how much you’ll have to pay.