Choose the right pension scheme

Stakeholder pensions work in the same way as personal pension arrangements and are normally accessed through an employer, although they can also be bought directly from the pension provider.

The rules for stakeholder pensions changed on 1 October 2012. Employers are no longer required to designate a stakeholder scheme for their employees. However, stakeholder pension schemes can be used by employers for automatic enrolment purposes provided the scheme meets the necessary criteria.

If you had employees in a stakeholder pension scheme before 1 October 2012, you must carry on taking workers' contributions from their pay and send them to the scheme if the worker wants you to.

Read Pensions Regulator guidance on stakeholder pensions.

Read nidirect guidance on stakeholder pensions for individuals.