Insider Blog

Planning for retirement involves a crucial decision: determining how much to invest in your pension. This choice significantly influences the quality of your retirement, enabling you to pursue your dreams with financial security. One option worth considering is salary sacrifice, where you voluntarily reduce your salary, and your employer redirects that amount into your pension fund. Here, we explore the pros and cons to help you decide if it’s right for you.

Advantages (Pros):

• Tax Efficiency: Salary sacrifice makes pension savings more tax-efficient. You and your employer agree to reduce your salary, and the sacrificed amount, along with your employer’s contribution, enters your pension fund. The significant advantage is that you won’t pay tax or National Insurance on the sacrificed amount, potentially increasing your net pay, compared to if you were paying into a regular occupational pension.
• Employer Savings: Employers can save on their Employer National Insurance contributions when supporting your pension contribution. Some employers may agree to pay all or part of this saving into your pension too, although they are not obliged to.
• Tax Band Management: Salary sacrifice helps you stay within your current tax band, avoiding higher 40% tax rates. This eliminates the need for you to apply for tax relief on your pension contributions as a 40% taxpayer.

Disadvantages (Cons):

• Loan Eligibility: Salary sacrifice may impact your ability to secure loans, like mortgages, as your salary technically decreases.
• State Benefit Eligibility: Eligibility for some state benefits may be affected, such as lower average pay for calculating Statutory Maternity Pay.
• Employer Benefits: Salary sacrifice may affect salary-based employer benefits, such as Life Assurance or Income Protection coverage, due to lower salary levels.
• Minimum Wage Threshold: If you are on a lower wage you may not be eligible to join a salary sacrifice scheme as your new lower salary cannot take you under the NMW (National Minimum Wage).

Overall, salary sacrifice can be a good strategy for boosting retirement savings and tax benefits, but it’s important to consider the potential drawbacks. Research and evaluate your circumstances before deciding if salary sacrifice is right for you.