Welcome to BBC LifePlan

1. Activate your account to manage your pension online

So you can see your payments, transactions and balances in one place.

To activate your account, you need to register. If you have not yet activated your account you will need your member number or National Insurance number to hand. 

Once you’ve activated your account:

• Check your personal details are correct
• Tell us who you’d like your beneficiary to be. That’s the person you’d like your pension money to go to if you die before taking your pension
• Make sure your selected retirement date is correct
• Review where your pension is invested, make your own investment selection if you’d like to, or understand what happens if you don’t make a choice

Currently, the NMPA (normal minimum pension age) is 55. From 6 April 2028, the NMPA will increase to 57. So, from 6 April 2028 you’ll need to be aged 57 or older before you can start taking money from your pension. There are still some circumstances where you can take money earlier, like if you’re suffering from ill health or have a protected pension age.

2. Download the app

Once you’ve activated your account, you can download the MyAviva app. Then you can see your pension account on your phone, wherever you are.  

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As a member of LifePlan your contributions will be met through a salary sacrifice arrangement.  This is called "Smart Pensions".  Your basic salary will be reduced by the amount you have chosen to contribute to LifePlan and as a result you would also pay less income tax and National Insurance Contributions. To Summarise:

• This is a contractual arrangement between you and the BBC
• You will have a base salary (for example your basic salary before adjustment for Smart Pensions) which increases with pay reviews
• Your basic salary (Contractual pay) is reduced by the amount you choose to pay into LifePlan. However, your basic pay cannot reduce to a level lower than the current National Minimum Wage.  If you elect a very high contribution rate you will need to keep this under review to keep your salary above the national minimum wage.
• Therefore you do not pay contributions directly
• The BBC will pay to LifePlan a contribution equal to the amount you have sacrificed through Smart Pensions, plus the BBC will make a contribution on your behalf, details are shown below.  
• SMART pensions can offer valuable National Insurance Contribution savings however it may not be suitable for everyone. Salary sacrifice may impact certain State benefits, the amount you can borrow and redundancy and sickness benefits
• If you are in any doubt about its suitability for your own personal circumstances you should contact a financial adviser. You may be charged for this advice.
  

It's vital to prepare for retirement, and one of the most effective ways to do that is by joining LifePlan. LifePlan works like this: you decide how much you want to contribute, from 5% of your salary, and the BBC contributes as shown below.

Tax treatment will depend on your individual circumstances and may be subject to change.

For example, a member contribution of 13% of salary, plus the maximum BBC contribution of 10% would mean a contribution of 23% into your LifePlan.

The BBC only makes a contribution for staff employed on a continuing or fixed term contract and not already contributing to another BBC pension arrangement.

The sooner you join LifePlan, the sooner you benefit from BBC contributions and potential Income Tax and National Insurance savings.  So, even if you only put in a small amount, you will begin to see the benefits.

Contribution examples

The table below shows what a salary contribution of 5% means for different income levels.  

Automatic enrolment is the Government's way of encouraging people to save for retirement. If you are already a member of a qualifying arrangement like LifePlan you may not be subject to this requirement. For further details on how automatic enrolment affects you please visit the myPension site on Gateway.
  

The annual allowance is the maximum amount that can be contributed to all your pensions in one tax year, without incurring a tax charge.  The standard maximum is currently £60,000 (tax year 2026/2027). For more information on the annual allowance please click here.

These allowances restrict the value of tax-free lump sums (or the tax-free element of lump sums) you can receive from your pensions. The Lump Sum Allowance limits those you receive in your lifetime, and the Lump Sum and Death Benefit Allowance restricts the combined total of tax-free lump sums paid during your lifetime and after your death.

For tax year 2026/27 the standard Lump Sum Allowance is £268,275 and the standard Lump Sum & Death Benefit Allowance is £1,073,100. Your remaining allowances reduce each time you take benefits. Your personal allowances may be higher than the standard amounts if you've been granted one or more of the types of protections by HMRC. For more information on the Lump Sum Allowance and Lump Sum & Death Benefit Allowance please click here