UK household-employer guide
Nanny pensions & auto-enrolment
Household pension duties start with the first employee. Auto-enrolment then depends on age and earnings; use The Pensions Regulator's employer tool for the individual case.
Do I have to give my nanny or housekeeper a pension?
The Pensions Regulator says that if you employ at least one person, including a nanny, you are an employer with automatic-enrolment duties from the day your first member of staff starts work. An employee normally has to be automatically enrolled when they are a worker, are aged from 22 up to State Pension age, usually work in the UK and earn above the automatic-enrolment trigger. This is general guidance; use The Pensions Regulator's employer tool for the worker's exact status, age, pay frequency and circumstances.
For 2026/27, the annual automatic-enrolment earnings trigger remains £10,000. The equivalent trigger shown by The Pensions Regulator is over £833 a month or over £192 a week. Staff outside the automatic-enrolment criteria can still have a right to ask to join a workplace pension, and whether the employer must contribute depends on their age, earnings and category. This is general information, so assess the individual worker rather than assuming that lower-paid or part-time staff have no pension rights.
2026/27 auto-enrolment thresholds for household employees.
These figures apply from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027, and the correct threshold is tested against the employee's pay period rather than only an annual salary headline. This is general information; check the current TPR table before relying on a figure.
The Pensions Regulator publishes weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly, monthly, quarterly and six-monthly values. Use the pay-frequency figure that matches the payroll period and recheck the table each tax year. This page is general information, not an individual pension assessment.
Employer timeline
What does a household employer need to do, and when?
The pension duty is a sequence, not a one-off payroll deduction.
How much does a household employer have to contribute?
The minimum contribution depends on the pension scheme's qualifying basis. Do not treat 3% as 3% of the employee's entire salary in every scheme.
For a defined-contribution scheme using the standard qualifying-earnings basis, the minimum total contribution is 8% of qualifying earnings and at least 3% must come from the employer. Scheme rules can use another certification basis, so this is general guidance rather than a universal payroll formula.
For 2026/27, many automatic-enrolment schemes calculate the statutory minimum on earnings within this band, including relevant salary, overtime, bonuses and certain statutory payments. The pension provider's scheme definition controls the actual calculation, so check it before setting payroll rules.
If a scheme uses standard qualifying earnings, £30,000 less the £6,240 lower threshold gives £23,760 of qualifying earnings. A 3% minimum employer contribution would be £712.80 a year and the 8% total minimum would be £1,900.80 a year. This simplified example assumes a full-year salary within the upper band and a standard qualifying-earnings scheme; the real pay-period calculation can differ.
Can a nanny opt out, and can the household postpone enrolment?
An employee who has been automatically enrolled or has opted in can choose to opt out, but the employer must not encourage or induce that decision. The Pensions Regulator says the one-month opt-out period starts from the later of active membership or receipt of the enrolment information, and a valid opt-out requires a refund of the employee's contributions within the required timeframe. This is general guidance; use the pension provider and TPR process for the actual notice and refund.
Re-enrolment brings the pension duty back every three years.
An opt-out is not a permanent instruction to ignore the employee's pension status.
Every three years, certain staff who left the scheme or reduced contributions must be assessed again. If they meet the criteria, they must be put back into an automatic-enrolment scheme. This is general guidance; the exact staff to assess depends on their pension history and the timing of earlier decisions.
Where re-enrolment applies, contributions restart from the re-enrolment date and the employee must receive the required information. Postponement cannot be used for staff who must be re-enrolled. Check TPR's current process for the chosen re-enrolment date.
The re-declaration of compliance must normally be completed within five calendar months of the third anniversary of the duties start date for the first re-enrolment cycle, even if nobody had to be re-enrolled. This is general guidance; later cycles use the relevant re-enrolment anniversary and TPR deadline.
From our work
We separate the staffing brief from the household's pension administration.
Filipino Domestic Services' current staffing enquiry asks the household to define the role, postcode, live-in or live-out arrangement, normal days and hours, recurring duties and preferred start date. Our employer guide then tells households to confirm the gross pay basis, payroll, pension and insurance arrangements before the employee starts.
That sequence matters because a pension decision cannot be made from the job title alone. “Nanny”, “housekeeper” or “nanny-housekeeper” does not tell the household whether automatic enrolment applies. The household needs the chosen worker's employment status, age and pay in the relevant pay period, as well as a pension scheme and payroll process capable of handling contributions. Nationality does not create a different pension threshold; use the current TPR criteria for the individual worker.
For a direct placement, Filipino Domestic Services introduces candidates while the household remains responsible for wages and the employer administration that follows. In practice, we therefore keep the salary conversation in gross terms and treat pension contributions as a separate employer cost rather than quietly netting them out of the candidate's agreed salary. If the role has variable hours or a probation period, the household should decide how payroll and any lawful postponement will operate before the first payday rather than waiting for the pension provider to identify a missed duty later.
Keep pension assessment inside the payroll process.
Automatic enrolment is driven by age, earnings and pay periods, so the practical control point is payroll. Each payday should use current employee information, the pension scheme rules and the current statutory thresholds.
Questions household employers ask about nanny pensions.
Does my nanny have to be put into a workplace pension?
If your nanny is a worker, is aged from 22 up to State Pension age, usually works in the UK and earns above the automatic-enrolment trigger, they normally must be enrolled into a qualifying workplace pension. Other staff can still have rights to ask to join. This is general guidance; assess the individual employee using the current TPR rules.
What is the pension earnings threshold for 2026/27?
The automatic-enrolment trigger is £10,000 a year for 2026/27, with TPR showing equivalent thresholds of over £833 a month or over £192 a week. The qualifying-earnings band is £6,240 to £50,270 a year. Age and worker status also matter, so earnings alone do not decide the duty.
How much does a household employer have to pay into the pension?
In a common defined-contribution scheme using standard qualifying earnings, at least 3% must come from the employer and the total minimum contribution is 8% of qualifying earnings. Schemes can use different qualifying bases or higher contributions, so the pension provider's rules should be checked before payroll is configured.
Can my nanny opt out of the pension?
Yes, after automatic enrolment or opting in, the employee can choose to opt out during the statutory opt-out period. The employer must not encourage the decision. A valid opt-out during the one-month period normally triggers a refund of the employee's contributions. Use the scheme provider's official process for the actual notice and refund.
Can I delay pension enrolment until a nanny finishes probation?
Probation itself is not an exemption. Automatic enrolment can be postponed for up to three months from certain dates if the statutory postponement rules are followed and the employee receives the required notice. The duties start date does not move. Check TPR's postponement guidance for the actual employment start date.
Do I have to re-enrol a nanny who opted out?
Every three years, the employer must assess certain staff who left the pension or reduced contributions and re-enrol those who meet the criteria. A re-declaration of compliance is also required even where nobody needs to be put back into the scheme. Use TPR's re-enrolment tool for the household's actual dates.
Sources and compliance boundary.
This guide summarises current UK automatic-enrolment information for household employers. It is educational content, not personalised pensions, payroll, tax or legal advice. Worker status, age, earnings, pay frequency, pension scheme rules and later statutory changes can alter the correct treatment.
Set the gross pay and payroll structure before the first payday.
Once the role, hours and salary are clear, the household can assess pension duties using the chosen employee's age and earnings and configure payroll around the actual scheme.