Auto-enrolment during a cost-of-living crisis – what is the way forward?

The first decade of auto-enrolment has largely been a success. According to The Pensions Regulator, more than 10.7 million employees have been auto-enrolled into workplace pensions during that time. By saving more into pensions, employees are boosting their potential income at retirement and building a better financial resilience for later life.

In the run-up to auto-enrolment there were concerns that as many as one in three employees could opt out of the scheme. However, the predictions were incorrect, with opt out rates consistently around 10%, even when minimum contributions were increased.

As auto-enrolment enters its second decade, it could continue to help employees build their long-term financial resilience. But there has been much discussion about how to move auto-enrolment forward and boost contributions. Against the current macro-economic backdrop, things aren’t so simple.

With household budgets being increasingly squeezed, encouraging or mandating an increase in pension contributions could have a negative impact in real terms. Rather than boost private pension savings, employees may instead choose to freeze contributions or opt out of schemes altogether.

The 2017 auto-enrolment review

The findings of the auto-enrolment review in 2017 recommended reducing the minimum age from 22 to 18 and allowing employees to contribute from the first pound of income.

According to the initial timeline, these recommendations were due to be implemented in the mid-2020s.

Meanwhile, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has suggested that the minimum contribution levels should be increased to 12% over the next 10 years.

The timing of this also needs to be balanced against 30-year high inflation figures, which is putting pressure on all our pockets today.

The calls for contributions to increase is a difficult conversation to have in a cost-of-living crisis. But many may be unaware of the need to save more towards retirement.

HL Savings and Resilience Barometer

Earlier this year we used the HL Savings and Resilience Barometer to model the likely impact of the introduction of the 2017 Review reforms, as well as a step up to 12% minimum contributions.

The 12% minimum contribution scenario creates a stark impact. Household surplus income would fall by 8.8% straight away, with a knock-on fall in emergency savings adequacy of 9.8% by 2029.

The lowest income households are estimated to benefit more from the proposed reforms, but those reforms would come at a greater cost. Their pension value could be boosted by 15.5% under the 2017 reforms, but the measure for surplus income for those households would immediately decrease by a substantial 22.2%.

At a time when it’s already hard to pay the bills, such a hike in contribution rates could leave many in real financial difficulty.

How the changes to auto-enrolment might affect your employees

The way forward

We’re proposing the following:

In our ‘Five to Thrive’ approach, building adequate rainy-day savings is identified as an important step in household resilience. This should be prioritised before employees begin to think about putting additional money aside for later life.

Our full Five to Thrive framework can help you, as an employer, identify ways in which you can guide your workforce to a more financially resilient future.

READ MORE ABOUT FIVE TO THRIVE

If you’d like more information about shaping employees’ financial education and benefits, please get in touch with a member of our team to find out more.