The Bentley Pension
Plan (BPP)

Whether you’re already a member of the Bentley Pension Plan or you’re thinking about joining, this site and the documents below will tell you how it works. But first, here’s a brief overview:

• This pension is part of a Master Trust.
  
• A Master Trust manages pensions for lots of employers.
• It's run by Aviva, and looked after by the Trustee Board.
• It’s the Trustee Board's job to make sure that the scheme is run for the benefit of its members.

The money in your pension is yours for life. If you decide to leave your employer, it’s up to you what you do with your pension. You could leave your money where it is until you retire or move it to another pension, such as your new employer’s pension scheme.

Money goes into your pension automatically. This includes any contributions you make as well as those from your employer. There are different ways you can boost the money going into your pension, which can help you aim for a bigger pension.

Your money is invested to give it a chance to grow. When it comes to how your money is invested, you can get involved as much as you like. 

As with other investments, the value of the money in your pension can go down as well as up. Your money isn’t guaranteed and there’s a risk you may get back less than the amount paid in.

How does my pension pot build up?

Every month, you save part of your salary into your pension.

Next, your employer puts some money in for you. When it comes to your own contribution it is taken from your salary before you pay tax, so you are saving money – this saving is called tax relief. And if your employer runs a salary exchange arrangement, you’ll get even more, in the form of National Insurance savings. Tax rules can change and any benefits will depend on personal circumstances.

Contact your employer for more information. All of this makes up the total amount going into your pension each month. Your employer can provide details of the contribution rates.

We invest the money in investment funds to give it a chance to grow. The amount you get when you’re ready to start taking your money depends on:

• how much has gone into your pension, from you and your employer
• how much you’ve paid in charges
• the performance of the funds you’ve invested in

Hopefully, by the time you come to use the money in your pension, you’ll have more than you would if you hadn’t invested it. Because it’s invested, the value of your pension will go up and down every day. Some funds go up and down more than others, depending on the level of risk they are exposed to. 

If you intend to change the way you invest your money, we recommend you speak to a regulated financial adviser to go over your investment choices. There may be a charge for this advice.