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Guide

What to do if your employer has not paid your pension contributions

By TheFinanceBase Team 8 min read

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If pension contributions deducted from your wages are missing from your workplace-pension account, first establish whether the payment is genuinely late. Compare your payslip with the pension provider’s transaction history, then ask payroll and the provider in writing to confirm the pay period, amount, payment date and allocation status. Keep every record. If contributions have been missing for 90 days, the employer will not correct the problem, payments are repeatedly late, or you suspect dishonesty, report the concern to The Pensions Regulator (TPR). If you are unhappy with how the employer or scheme handled your complaint, the Pensions Ombudsman is the complaint route. MoneyHelper provides free, impartial information.

Check whether the contribution is actually late

A deduction appearing on a payslip and a credit appearing in your pension account do not necessarily happen on the same day. For employee contributions deducted from pay, GOV.UK says the usual deadline is the 22nd day of the following month when the employer pays electronically, or the 19th when it pays by cheque. The scheme may also have an agreed payment date with the provider, and special timing rules can apply to a first contribution.

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What to check Why it matters
Pay period on the payslip The deduction may relate to an earlier month than the date you were paid.
Amount deducted Compare the employee amount with the contribution transaction or allocation shown by the provider.
Payment method The ordinary deadline is the 22nd of the following month for electronic payment and the 19th for cheque payment.
Scheme-specific terms Initial contributions, salary-sacrifice arrangements and provider processing can have different dates.

Ask the provider which date applies to your scheme and the particular pay period. A transaction can also have been received but not yet allocated to your account because the provider lacks identifying information.

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Work through these checks in order

  1. Compare your payslip and pension account

    List each pay date on which a pension deduction appears. For each one, note the gross pay, employee contribution, employer contribution if shown, and the period covered. Check the provider’s online transaction history and the latest statement rather than relying only on the current balance.

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  2. Ask payroll or the employer for a payment status

    Write to payroll, HR or the employer and give the relevant pay dates and amounts. Ask whether the contribution was deducted, the date it was sent, the period it was intended to cover, and whether any payment or data error is preventing allocation. Written communication gives you a dated record, although you can raise the issue verbally first if that is easier.

  3. Ask the pension provider to trace or allocate it

    Send the provider the same pay dates and amounts. Ask whether it has received the employer’s payment, whether it is held in an unallocated account, and whether it needs your payroll or membership details. Ask the provider to confirm the applicable deadline and any special first-payment arrangement.

  4. Allow for a genuine processing delay, but set a follow-up date

    If the statutory or scheme deadline has not passed, record when you will check again. If it has passed, ask for a specific correction date rather than an open-ended assurance.

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What to put in your written request

A concise request should identify the issue without assuming why it happened. Include:

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  • your name, employee or scheme membership number and department, if relevant;
  • the pay periods and payslip dates affected;
  • the employee deduction and any employer contribution shown for each period;
  • the date you expected the money to reach the scheme;
  • a request for confirmation of whether the money was deducted, sent, received and allocated; and
  • a date by which you would like a response and correction plan.

Ask payroll and the provider to reconcile the same periods. Payroll may say a payment was sent while the provider may be unable to match it; obtaining both answers helps identify whether the problem is deduction, transmission or allocation.

Preserve evidence and estimate what is missing

Keep payslips, pension statements, enrolment letters, scheme booklets, emails, letters, screenshots of transaction histories and notes of telephone calls. Maintain a simple timeline showing when you contacted each party, who replied and what was promised.

Estimate the missing amount even if you do not yet know the exact figure. Record the employee deduction separately from any employer contribution and mark the estimate as provisional. TPR’s reporting form asks for the employer’s identity and address, a PAYE number if available, the missing period and value, supporting evidence and whether other workers may also be affected. It also asks whether you have raised the matter with TPR before.

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Choose the escalation route that matches the problem

Route Best fit Prepare or expect
Employer, payroll or pension provider Checking dates, amounts, transmission and allocation; seeking correction first Payslips, provider transactions and a list of affected periods.
The Pensions Regulator Concern about an employer’s pension duties, missing contributions, persistent lateness, unwillingness to pay or suspected fraud or dishonesty Follow the current guidance and report form; provide employer details, periods, an estimated amount and evidence. TPR investigates regulatory concerns and does not guarantee an individual compensation result.
The Pensions Ombudsman Dissatisfaction with how the employer or pension scheme handled your pension complaint Keep your prior correspondence and use the complaint route identified by TPR.
MoneyHelper General, free and impartial information about workplace pensions and next steps Use it for guidance, while asking your employer or provider about your scheme’s specific terms.

When and how to report missing payments to TPR

Wait 90 days in ordinary missing-payment cases

TPR’s worker guidance generally asks people who ordinarily work in the UK to wait 90 days before reporting missing pension payments because processing can take up to three months. The 90-day period is guidance for reporting, not permission for an employer to ignore a contribution after the legal payment deadline.

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You do not have to wait for every type of concern. TPR identifies an employer’s unwillingness to pay, persistent late payment and suspected fraud or dishonesty as matters to report. If the pension provider has already told you that it reported the employer to TPR, TPR says you do not need to submit another report for the same issue.

Speak to the employer first when you can

TPR’s worker guidance says: “You should speak to your employer first. If you feel unable to do this, or you still have concerns after speaking to them, report the matter to us.” You can report without first approaching the employer if you feel unable to do so, for example because of concern about retaliation or another serious obstacle.

Complete the current report form accurately

Use TPR’s current missing-payment form and answer its questions about the employer, the periods affected, the value, your evidence and whether colleagues may also be affected. State what you have asked the employer and provider, include dates of replies, and distinguish confirmed figures from estimates. Keep a copy of the submitted information.

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What regulatory action can and cannot do

An employer’s pension provider may report an unpaid-contribution issue to TPR. TPR’s employer enforcement guidance says that an employer receiving an unpaid-contributions notice must calculate and pay outstanding contributions and provide evidence of payment by the deadline in the notice. The guidance describes penalties for failing to comply.

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These powers explain how regulatory enforcement may proceed, but a report is not a guarantee that you will recover a particular amount or receive a decision within a particular period. Continue retaining records and ask the employer or provider for updates while TPR considers the concern.

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Use the Pensions Ombudsman for a complaint about handling

TPR is the regulator route for concerns about an employer’s compliance with pension duties. The Pensions Ombudsman is different: it is the complaint route when you are dissatisfied with how the employer or scheme handled your pension matter. Preserve your written complaint, the response, payslips, statements and any evidence of delay before using that route. The Ombudsman process addresses the handling of a pension dispute; it is not a substitute for reporting suspected employer non-compliance to TPR.

Understand whether you were entitled to automatic enrolment

Not every worker has identical enrolment or contribution terms. GOV.UK describes automatic enrolment as applying to eligible staff, including workers aged 22 to State Pension age who normally work in the UK and earn at least £10,000 a year. A worker who is not automatically eligible may still have a right to join a workplace pension. Check your age, earnings, working status, opt-in or joining request, and the scheme rules before assuming an employer contribution was due.

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The amount can also depend on qualifying earnings, the scheme’s contribution basis, salary sacrifice and any enhanced employer terms. Ask the provider or employer to explain the calculation for each disputed pay period rather than assuming that every payslip deduction should produce the same credit.

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Scheme trustees have separate reporting duties

TPR’s General code, in force from 28 March 2024, says scheme trustees or managers—and scheme managers in the stated public-service context—must report materially significant payment failures when they have reasonable cause to believe one exists. The code says such reports should generally be made within 14 days, with members notified within 30 days of the report. Those are duties of the scheme’s governing body, not deadlines for a member using TPR’s worker-facing form.

Situations requiring case-specific help

Employer insolvency

The available guidance does not establish what will happen to a particular worker’s contributions if the employer becomes insolvent. Contact the provider and the relevant insolvency or regulatory channel promptly, keep all payslips and correspondence, and obtain qualified case-specific advice before relying on assumptions about recovery.

Non-standard schemes or overseas work

The ordinary deadlines and automatic-enrolment description are aimed at UK workplace-pension arrangements. Overseas employment, non-standard schemes and public-service arrangements can have different rules. Confirm which law, regulator and scheme terms apply to your employment.

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Unclear eligibility or calculation

If you are unsure whether you should have been enrolled, opted in, or received an employer contribution, ask the scheme administrator for the governing rules and a period-by-period calculation. MoneyHelper can explain general options, but only the employer, administrator or qualified adviser can address the facts of your individual arrangement.

A practical escalation checklist

  • Match every payslip deduction to a pay period and provider transaction.
  • Check whether the 22nd-of-the-following-month electronic deadline, 19th cheque deadline or a scheme-specific first-payment date has passed.
  • Write to payroll or the employer with dates, amounts and a request for a payment and allocation status.
  • Ask the provider to trace, reconcile or allocate the same payments.
  • Save evidence and maintain a dated contact log; estimate missing values and identify whether colleagues may be affected.
  • After 90 days, or sooner for unwillingness to pay, persistent lateness or suspected fraud, follow TPR’s current reporting guidance unless the provider has already reported the matter.
  • Use the Pensions Ombudsman if your complaint concerns how the employer or scheme handled the matter, and use MoneyHelper for impartial general information.

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