Your member information
You’ve probably received a letter or email saying that your employer has chosen The People’s Pension as your company’s workplace pension scheme.
Joining The People’s Pension
Joining a workplace pension scheme is a good thing as your employer pays contributions into your pension too.
We’ll send you all the details you need to keep track of your pension.
Keep a look out for this information because it’ll tell you how to set up your account. This is a great way to see how much you’ve saved and how much money you can expect back when you retire.
Download the member booklet: This way to more information
We will never contact you out of the blue to ask for any of your personal or account information, such as your password or sign-in details.
How to set up your account
It’s quick and easy and you only need to do this once. You’ll need your National Insurance number, customer number, personal email address and mobile number.
For help getting set up, visit our webpage on accessing your online account.
What you can do in your account
Once you’re all set up, you can start exploring your account – here’s what you can do:
Tell us who your beneficiaries are
We don’t get to keep your money if you die before you retire. Instead, you can share it with the people or charities you love most.
More about what happens to your pension savings when you die
Combine your pension pots
By combining your savings into one single pot it may save you money on fees and charges, as well as helping you with your retirement planning.
More about combining your pension savings into one pot
Update your personal contact details
It’s important to keep your contact details up to date, including your personal email address, mobile number and date of birth.
View your annual pension statement
We’ll send you an email each year when it’s ready to view.
Choose how to invest your pension pot
When you join The People’s Pension, we’ll invest your savings into the ‘balanced’ investment profile unless you tell us otherwise. You can switch out of this investment profile into another one, or even choose your own set of funds if you want to at any time.
Find out more about your investment choices
Review and change your selected retirement age
We’ll send you the right information nearer the time that you intend to access your pension savings, to help with your retirement planning.
As a rule we use the State Pension age as your retirement age, but you can change this if you like.
Unlock member rewards
Access exclusive discounts and deals from leading brands to help save money on products and days out for you and your family.
Important
Changing your selected retirement age or your date of birth could affect where your pension savings are invested. For example, if you decide to delay when you take your pension savings, they will be moved further back on the glidepath and into higher-risk funds.
Request to take your pension money when you’re ready
Normally, you can start taking money from your pension at age 55 (the government proposes to increase this to age 57 from 2028). When you’ve considered your options and decided when and how you want to take your pension, you can request this quickly in your account.
Find out more about how you can take your pension money
Plan for your future on the move
Use our app to manage your pension wherever you are, simply and safely. Discover more about The People’s Pension app.
Learn about your pension
Once you’ve read your joining information and you’re happy with it all, you can leave it up to us to manage your pension.
Your employer will start paying into your pension pot soon and these payments, plus the contributions you make and any tax relief from the government, will build up in your pot for you to use when you retire.
We’ll invest this money in the ‘balanced’ investment profile and assume that you’ll want to take your retirement pension at the State Pension age.
If you prefer, you can decide for yourself:
- where to invest
- when to take your pension from the age of 55 (proposed increase to age 57 from 2028), or
- how much to save.
Saving into a workplace pension is a great opportunity to start making your retirement plans a reality.
Check how much to save for retirement
You can use our calculators to check how long your pension savings might need to last for, and how much you might need to live on – to help you work out how much you need to save.
Your pension belongs to you – and only you
So, what do you need to know? First off and most importantly, this pension account belongs to you, not your employer and not us.
It may feel like money is being taken out of your regular wage never to be seen again, but actually, that money is still yours and you’ll be able to access it when you retire.
Until then, you can keep track of how it’s growing in your account.
Your pension is safe
Your pension is your money.
So, to keep your pension pot safe, it’s held in trust. This means it’s completely and legally separate from both us and your employer.
If any company looking after your pension becomes insolvent, new administrators, trustees or investment managers would be appointed to replace them.
Your personal pension account will simply carry on as normal.
Read more about the security of your savings
Pension management charge
All pension schemes charge members. Find out more about what the charge covers in our video.
At the People’s Pension, we reduce the rate we charge you as your savings grow. We have an annual management charge made up of 3 elements:
- an annual charge
- An ongoing management charge of 0.5% (50p for every £100 saved)
- A rebate on the management charge – the rebate level depends on how much is in your pension pot
Read more about our member annual management charge.
To find out exactly how much you’re charged, please log into your account and go to ‘Manage my pension’, followed by ‘Charges’.
Leaving your employer
If you leave your current employer or decide to stop contributing in to your pension pot, your pension savings will remain with The People’s Pension (further information is available on request).
Even if you move jobs you can keep paying into The People’s Pension. Your former employer will no longer contribute, but your new employer may.
However, you can carry on contributing even if your new employer doesn’t or if you become self-employed, by making personal payments. Simply visit our webpage on workplace pension contributions for more on making personal payments into your pension.
You may be able to transfer your pension pot to another registered pension scheme. We do not charge for transfers out of The People’s Pension.
If you leave but then come back to The People’s Pension in the future
We’ll reactivate your existing pension pot and make sure any new contributions go into that. You’ll only ever have one pension pot with us.
Leaving The People’s Pension
You can leave at any time. You don’t have to be part of your workplace pension. But if you leave, your employer may stop making payments to your pension as well.
If you were enrolled in The People’s Pension, but decided to leave
You can re-join. Just write to your employer to request to re-join the scheme and we will re-activate your personal account.
This means you’ll start saving again into the same pension fund, so all your savings stay together.
How we look after your money
The People’s Pension is governed by a board of experienced, professional independent corporate trustee directors who put the interests of members, not providers, first.
You can rest assured members’ interests lie at the heart of everything we do.
Read more about the security of your savings
Good scheme governance
The independent corporate trustee has responsibility for looking after all aspects of the scheme. The trustee will ensure that the scheme is run in the best interests of its members, and in accordance with the scheme rules and the law.
The trustee is also responsible for making sure the investment options are appropriate and the administration is first class.
Meet The People’s Pension Trustee
Investment performance
One of the key factors affecting the income you get from your pension account is investment performance.
The performance of your pension funds really does matter as it directly affects the income you get in retirement. It’s important to ensure you have sufficient resources to see you through your retirement years. And remember, we cannot predict how long we will live!
The scheme trustee and investment specialists regularly look at how the available funds are doing. If something needs changing they’ll change it. The trustee can’t tell you which investment is best for you, but they will do their best to make sure whichever investment you choose is performing as well as it can.
Of course, past performance is no guide to the future, but you should aim to make your investments work as hard as possible.
More information on costs and charges for members of The People’s Pension.
Statement of Investment Principles
The People’s Pension Trustee Limited has published a Statement of Investment Principles (SIP). It’s available for anyone to view and will help you to fully understand the trustee’s role.
Download: The People’s Pension Statement of Investment Principles
Innovation
The People’s Pension doesn’t stand still.
The scheme trustee will ensure that it continues to deliver what its members need and want from their pension scheme. It’s part of their duties as trustee of The People’s Pension.
Helping you settle any concerns
If you’re unhappy with our service, we will listen and deal with your concerns fairly and promptly.
Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure
We expect to be able to resolve any concerns informally through our UK-based telephone helpline. If, after speaking to a member of the team and going through our internal process to raise any concerns, you still feel the matter has not been resolved satisfactorily, you can use our Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure (IDRP).
This is normally a formal two-stage process and is available to you if a complaint becomes a dispute that needs to be resolved.
If you wish to use the IDRP, you can contact our Customer Service Manager to request a form.
MoneyHelper
MoneyHelper is an independent organisation providing free advice to pension scheme members and their beneficiaries.
You can contact MoneyHelper at any point with pension questions or issues you’ve been unable to resolve with the Trustee of the Scheme.
MoneyHelper, 120 Holborn, London EC1N 2TD
The Pensions Ombudsman
Disputes can be referred to The Pensions Ombudsman who may investigate and determine any complaint or dispute in fact or law in relation to a pension scheme.
You can make an application online
The Pensions Ombudsman, 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4PU
Local: 0800 917 4487 Overseas: +44 (0) 207 630 2200
The Pensions Regulator
The Pensions Regulator may intervene in the running of the schemes where trustees, employers or professional advisers have failed in their duties.
The Pensions Regulator, Telecom House, 125-135 Preston Road, Brighton, BN1 6AF
www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk
Opting out of your workplace pension
After you’ve been enrolled in The People’s Pension you can leave at any time if you want to. Think carefully before opting out.
If you opt out of your workplace pension, you’ll miss out on extra ‘free’ money your employer and the government put towards your pension.
More about the benefits of paying into your pension.