Scale of pension tax relief problem revealed

twitter-iconfacebook-iconlinkedin-iconmail-iconprint-icon
Search supported by
Scale of pension tax relief problem revealed

Only three of the top 17 master trust providers allow their lowest paid members to claim additional pension tax relief, according to research from Hymans Robertson.

National Employment Savings Trust (Nest), The People’s Pension and Legal and General (L&G) are the workplace providers currently offering a relief at source option to their member, which can add as much as a 20 per cent government bonus to their retirement savings pot, said the consultant.

Provider

Relief at source

Atlas

No

LifeSight

No

Nest

Yes

NPT

No

Now: Pensions

No

Scottish Widows

No

Smart Pension

No

Standard life

No

Aon

No

Aviva

No

BlackRock

No

BlueSky

No

Fidelity

No

L&G

Yes

Mercer

No

The People's Pension

Yes

TPT

No

Members of pension schemes who don't pay income tax are nonetheless permitted to basic rate tax relief (20 per cent) on pension contributions up to £2,880 a year.

In practice, this means that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will top up a net contribution of £2,880 to a gross £3,600.

However, this tax relief is only available where the pension scheme operates on a relief-at-source basis, which is only accessible through less than a hand full of companies.

It is not available for schemes that operate a net pay arrangement, which are the majority of pension funds in the market.

The difference between these two arrangements has become more noticeable since the nil rate income tax band has increased – currently at £11,8500 – which is above the auto-enrolment minimum threshold of £10,000.

According to Jesal Mistry, head of scheme design and provider evaluation at Hymans Robertson, master trusts have evolved from being a relatively niche option to being increasingly seen as the defined contribution (DC) vehicle of choice.

He said: "They have grown to represent over 35 per cent of the workplace savings market and account for the savings of over seven million defined contribution (DC) scheme members in the UK.

"The fact that only three of the master trusts we surveyed offered tax relief at source is not just surprising, but a major concern as it could mean thousands of individuals auto-enrolled are not receiving the tax relief they were promised."

Former pensions ministers Ros Altmann and Sir Steve Webb have both argued that the HM Treasury needs to act to allow low earners to claim the tax relief they are entitled to.

However, the Treasury has denied taking any action on this matter, saying previously that "it is up to employers, not government, to decide which scheme best suits the needs of their employees".

This tax loophole, in which as many as 300,000 low paid earners are being denied tax relief, has been branded the "next payment protection insurance (PPI) scandal".

Mr Mistry added: "The tripling of auto-enrolment minimum contributions in April this year to 3 per cent, and the planned further rise to 5 per cent by 2019, although necessary, will serve to further compound this issue for an individual that is already not receiving the tax relief to which they are entitled.” 

"So, how can this issue be resolved? As our research shows a small number of providers are already able to accommodate a tax-relief at source system. For those that don't, a sizable investment is necessary to adapt their administration system. 

"In the absence of any real movement here it must be now up to government to correct this anomaly created through unintentional legislation and ensure that the impacted many receive what is rightfully theirs."

Other master trusts are aware of this problem, with Smart Pension pledging last year to introduce a relief at source option during this year.

Martin Freeman, head of Smart Pension's product development division, said: "We're making sure we get it right because it is easy to trip up with relief at source and mistakes can be costly.

"We support the call to help people who most need it and we are building the robust automation that is necessary for relief at source."

Now: Pensions announced in September that it would be topping up pension pots of non-taxpayer members to make up for the income tax relief shortfall, which was extended until April.

maria.espadinha@ft.com