What happens when you become a member?

Contribution information

Your employer will contribute to your pension if you are auto enrolled. Your employer’s contribution and the income tax-relief (where applicable) on your own contribution could make your money go a lot further.

And the sooner you start paying into your pension, the more comfortable your life could be when you stop working.

You can opt out but if you do you will lose out on your employer’s contribution and income tax-relief (where applicable) on any personal contributions you make meaning you may have less money for your retirement. Your employer will have to re-enrol you every three years, as long as you still meet the eligibility criteria, however you will still have the option to opt out.

Your pension contributions

 Employer contribution (% of pensionable salary) Your contribution (% of pensionable salary) Total contribution
6% 3% 9%
8% 4% 12%
10% 5% 15%
10% Over 5% Over 15%

Payments into your pension

Paying into your pension through salary sacrifice

As part of the company pension scheme you may be able to participate in salary sacrifice. It is an arrangement between you and your employer.

Participating in salary sacrifice means that you agree to give up part of your salary and in return your employer pays an equivalent amount into your pension pot, in addition to any contribution that they already make. This means that you may pay less tax and National Insurance.

Salary sacrifice may not be suitable for everyone. Please contact your employer for more information. Tax benefits are subject to change and their value depends on your individual circumstances.

Investments

The money you have invested into your pension doesn't just sit there waiting for you to retire. Aviva pools your money with that of other investors and invests it with the aim of growing the size of your pension. Pooled funds are a way of putting sums of money from many people into a large fund spread across many investments. Funds are managed by investment professionals. Investing this way can be easier and less risky than buying shares directly and there are lots of funds to choose from. Please bear in mind that the value of your pension savings can go down as well as up and it may be worth less than the amount paid in.

When you become a member

Contributions will be invested automatically in the My Future . More details about this programme can be found within your pension documents.

The My Future has been carefully chosen to be appropriate for the majority of employees but it may not be suitable for your individual needs. We recommend that you review your investment funds and contributions frequently.

If you have any doubts regarding your investments, you should contact a financial adviser for advice. If you do not have a financial adviser you can find one at MoneyHelper*. You may be charged for this advice.

 

After you become a member

Once you have made your first contribution into your pension you can select different investment funds.

When choosing funds, you need to consider a number of factors, including what level of investment risk you are prepared to take, the income you are likely to need in retirement, the charges applicable and the age you want to retire.

The level of annual management charge (AMC) will depend on which fund or funds you are invested in. It is taken from each fund over the lifetime of your pension.

Remember, a pension is a long-term investment and usually the longer you save for, the better. For more information, please refer to the documents page.

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State pension information

Could you afford to live on the State Pension alone?

The full new State Pension is £230.25 per week, for the 2025/2026 tax year. You will usually need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance (NI) record to get any State Pension. To receive the maximum, the new State Pension requires a 35-year NI record. The amount you receive will depend on your National Insurance record. For more details please visit gov.uk/new-state-pension.

When can you claim the State Pension?

The government is in the process of reviewing the age at which you can claim the State Pension. If you retire early and are only planning to rely on the State Pension, you need to think how you'll be able to fund your lifestyle from when you retire until you reach state pension age. To check your State Pension age, please visit gov.uk/state-pension-age.

When you come to retire the government may have changed its rules on eligibility and age. For more information visit gov.uk.

Will you get any other money from the government?

You might also be eligible for other benefits, such as Pension Credit after you reach State Pension age. This is an income-related benefit which could top up the amount you receive each week. There’s more information about this on the gov.uk/pension-credit.

Tools

To help you with your retirement planning, we provide a range of planning tools so you can think about the kind of income that your pension savings could provide for you. You can look at the amount of pension savings you might have when you reach retirement and what impact making changes to your pension contributions could have.

You can also use the tools and guides available in the documents page.

Shape my Future

Can help give you an idea whether your potential retirement income will fund the lifestyle you want.

Shape my Future

The Mid-Life MOT app

The Mid-Life MOT app provides a free check-up of your wealth, work and wellbeing. Our Mid-Life MOT app is a small investment of your time, but it could make a big difference. Designed for people in the UK between 45 and 60.

The Mid-Life MOT app

Retirement Spending Calculator

Discover how much you might spend during your retirement compared to your current spending and what sort of income you'd need to cover your costs.

Retirement Spending Calculator

Pension calculator

Learn more about the future of your pension plans and how long your money might last in retirement.

Pension calculator

Contact us

Got a question? We are here to help

Calls to and from Aviva may be monitored and/or recorded.

Contact Aviva

Phone: 0345 604 9915

Email mymoney@aviva.com

Contact your employer

Solent University, East Park Terrace, Southampton, SO14 0YN

023 8201 3000

payroll@solent.ac.uk.

Guidance and Advice

This site does not provide financial advice.

MoneyHelper

If you want more help thinking about pensions and investments, a good place to start is MoneyHelper, the government-backed free guidance service. The MoneyHelper service won't tell you what you should do, but they'll provide you with information to help you understand your options.

Learn more "Read more about MoneyHelper"

Contact an adviser

For financial advice please contact your financial adviser. If you don't have an adviser, MoneyHelper can help you find one in your area. An adviser may charge for their services.

Learn more "Read more about Contact an adviser"

Aviva Financial Advice

If you'd like to get advice about your pension or investment needs, Aviva Financial Advice might be for you. Call 0800 092 2585 or if you're short on time you can book a call back with one of the team.

Learn more "Read more about Aviva Financial Advice"