Pension Coverage 2020

The proportion of workers with an occupational pension from their current employment who identified their pension as a Defined Contribution pension was 63.9%, and 33.8% of workers had a Defined Benefit occupational pension from their current job, while 2.3% had a Hybrid pension. Rates of Defined Benefit occupational pension cover is highest for the older age groups, with 48.2% of females and 44.3% of males in the 55 to 69 years age group having a Defined Benefit occupational pension in their current employment. By comparison, of employees aged 25 to 34 years, just 26.8% of males and 31.5% of females had a Defined Benefit occupational pension from their current employment, as did just 27% of males and 36.3% of females in the 35 to 44 years age group. See Table 4.1 and Figure 4.1.

Self-employed persons, who did not have an occupational pension, were asked if they had an occupational pension from a previous employment. Over seven in ten (71.3%) confirmed they had a Defined Contribution pension, while 26.1% had a Defined Benefit occupational pension and 2.7% were part of a Hybrid pension scheme from a previous employment. See Table 4.1 and Figure 4.1.

Over half of employees (52.2%) without an occupational pension said that their employer did not offer a pension scheme, while 24.4% had chosen not to join their employer's pension scheme. A further 12.5% of employees without an occupational pension were not eligible to join their employer’s occupational pension scheme. See Table 4.2.

Of part-time workers who do not have occupational pension coverage from their current job, 18.7% stated that they are not eligible to join their employer’s pension scheme, compared with 9.6% of full-time workers. Just 13% of part-time workers chose not to join their employer’s pension scheme, while 54.3% reported that their employer did not offer a pension scheme, compared with just over half (51.2%) of full-time workers. See Table 4.2 and Figure 4.2.