Automatic Enrolment to Pension Schemes

Government criteria

To help people save more for their retirement, the government requires employers to enrol their workers into a workplace pension scheme. This applies to those who: 

• Are aged 22 or over 
• Are under State Pension age 
• Earn more than £10,000 a year (£833 a month) 
• Work, or usually work, in the UK 
• Are not already in a workplace pension scheme 

We are legally obliged to enrol you into our workplace pension scheme that is provided by the University of Dundee Royal London (DC) Pension Scheme.  

However, we are, as allowed by law, postponing your automatic enrolment assessment date for up to three months from your contractual start date. Your postponed automatic enrolment assessment date is as stated in your contract and/or your terms and conditions. During this postponed period, you have the right to join our workplace pension scheme.

How to join the scheme

If you wish to join the University of Dundee Royal London (DC) Pension Scheme now contact us in writing by sending a letter to:

Pensions Office,
Floor 2, Tower Building,
University of Dundee,
Nethergate,
Dundee,  
DD1 4HN 

Your letter must be signed by you, quoting your National Insurance number and date of birth.

Or if sending electronically, email pensionsoffice@dundee.ac.uk. Your email has to also contain the phrase: “I confirm I personally submitted this notice to join a workplace pension scheme”.

Automatic enrolment 

If on your postponed assessment date or thereafter you are aged 22 or over, under State Pension age, work or usually work in the UK and earn more than £10,000 a year (£833 a month) we will automatically enrol you into the University of Dundee. 

What it means for you

• You can choose to opt-out of the scheme if you want to, but if you stay on you will have your own pension at retirement. 
• The University of Dundee and you will pay into the pension scheme every month. 
• You will automatically pay the entry level default contribution of 5% of pensionable pay - however if you wish to change this see the ‘Change contribution rates’ section.
• The corresponding employer contribution rate will be paid by the University. For more information see ‘Contribution Rates’.
• Your contribution will attract tax relief at source. 
• Your pension belongs to you, even if you leave us in the future. 
• You will be an active member of a qualifying scheme which meets or exceeds the Government’s new standards. 

We will not be automatically enrolling you into a pension scheme, if on your postponed assessment date, you are: 

1. Aged between 16 and 75 years of age and earn between £6,240 a year (£520 a month) and £10,000 a year (£833 a month), OR 
2. Aged under 22 years (but over 16) or aged over state pension age (but under 75) and earn more than £10,000 a year (£833 a month), OR 
3. Under 75 years (but over 16) and earn under £6,240 a year (£520 a month) 

This is because you do not meet the criteria set by the Government (see first paragraph). 

However, if you are aged 16 to 74 years of age and ask to do so, we will enrol you into a pension scheme. Follow the instructions ‘How to join the scheme'.

If on your postponed assessment date or thereafter you meet the criteria set by the Government (see first paragraph) to be automatically enrolled but you do not wish to join the University of Dundee Royal London (DC) Pension Scheme you can opt-out. 

Your opt-out options

You cannot opt-out before you have been automatically enroled.

Refer to Section 9 ‘Opting Out of the Plan’ within the Welcome Pack you receive direct from Royal London. 

If a valid Opt-Out Notification is received within 30 days of your automatic enrolment date or within 30 days of the date of your Automatic Enrolment Welcome Pack correspondence – whichever is the latter, any contributions you have made will be refunded and you will not have become an active member of the scheme on this occasion. 

If you want to opt-out and stop making payments after the 30 day period has expired you can do so, however, any contributions paid will remain within your fund at Royal London.

Anyone who opts out will (if eligible) be automatically enrolled back into a pension scheme at a later date (usually every three years). This is because your circumstances may have changed and it may be the right time for you to start saving. We will contact you when this happens, and you can opt-out if it’s still not right for you. An exception to this is where you have opted out within twelve months prior to the automatic re-enrolment date.

Rejoin a workplace pension scheme

If you opt-out or stop making payments you can rejoin a workplace pension scheme at a later date. 

To rejoin a scheme, contact us in writing by sending a letter to the address below, which has been signed by you, quoting your National Insurance number and date of birth. 

Pensions Office,
Floor 2, Tower Building,
University of Dundee,
Nethergate,
Dundee,
DD1 4HN

Or if sending electronically, email pensionsoffice@dundee.ac.uk. Your email has to also contain the phrase “I confirm I personally submitted this notice to join a workplace pension scheme”.

Contribution Rates

Change contribution rates

Confirm your new percentage contribution by emailing pensionsoffice@dundee.ac.uk or send a hard copy to:

Pensions Office,
Floor 2, Tower Building,
University of Dundee,
Nethergate,
Dundee,
DD1 4HN 

Include your name and national insurance number within your communication. 

Further information

• University of Dundee Royal London (DC) Pension Scheme
• Pensions and saving for later life