Worker Pension Scheme FAQs

General pension queries: 

Telephone: 0808 196 8551

Email: uber@adecco.co.uk

Pension Scheme Information, opting in or out, contribution and withdrawal assistance:

NOW:Pensions portal: Portal login

Telephone: 0330 100 3334

Contact form: Link

The Scheme is a ‘defined contribution’ pension scheme, which means that you know in advance how much will be paid into it. There are two funds; the Default Investment Option and the Shariah Fund.

As a member, you will have your own account and receive a yearly benefit statement from NOW: Pensions, the Scheme provider. You can also track the progress of your own account within the Scheme online. You receive contributions into your account from Uber on top of the contribution you make and these will be invested in the NOW: Pensions Default Investment Option or the Shariah Fund (should you choose to select it).

The Worker Pension Scheme is provided by NOW: PENSIONS. NOW: Pensions is an award-winning UK workplace pension provider who looks after the pension savings of tens of thousands of companies and millions of members from a wide range of industry sectors.

You will be automatically enrolled into the Scheme if you meet certain criteria (see below). However, if you do not meet the criteria, you still have a ‘right to join’ or ‘opt in’ to the Scheme. Depending on your circumstances, you may still be entitled to a contribution from Uber.

You will receive a communication from NOW: Pensions containing your options. If you do not meet the eligibility criteria to be automatically enrolled, you can follow the guidelines from NOW: Pensions and request to join the scheme.

By law companies must place qualifying workers into a qualifying workplace pension scheme and make a minimum level of contribution. The worker is also required to contribute a minimum level of contribution. This is known as ‘Automatic Enrolment’. Auto-enrolment is a Government initiative designed to help people save for retirement. Workers are automatically enrolled into the Scheme 3 months after their first trip. This is known as a postponement period. They must also meet the eligibility criteria at the time. Currently this includes if they are aged over 22 and under state pension age and earn more than £10,000 per year (£833 monthly / £192 weekly). If a Driver is deemed not eligible, their eligibility is assessed each pay period after postponement, and they will be enrolled if their eligibility changes

If you are enrolled into the Scheme, contributions will be deducted from your pay, automatically by Uber. You will have the option to opt out and have your contributions refunded if you choose to opt out within the opt out window.  See the section ‘Opting Out / Ceasing Contributions’ for further details.

If you do not meet the criteria for auto-enrolment but are aged over 16 (and under 75) and earned more than £120 in a week then you become a non-eligible jobholder. This means you can voluntarily opt-in to the pension scheme.

If you do not meet the criteria for auto-enrolment but are aged over 16 and earned more than £120 in a week then you become a non-eligible jobholder. This means you can voluntarily opt-in to the pension scheme.

Every 3 years your company must reassess you and re-enrol you back into the workplace pension scheme, if you meet the eligibility criteria at that time. This means that some people will be auto-enrolled if they have previously opted out (unless you have opted out in the 12 months prior).  

There is no upfront cost to join the Scheme other than the cost of contributions you personally make. Eligible  members of the Scheme benefit from Uber contributions in addition to any contributions they make. Please note that Uber will not contribute to any other pension arrangement you may have with other companies. Contribution levels are set out in the table below: 

Qualifying earnings is the name given to a band of earnings that are used to calculate contributions for auto enrolment. This is currently all earnings on which auto-enrolment contributions are paid between £120 and £967 if you are paid ‘weekly’.

Qualifying earnings are calculated as:

Rider fares minus the amount kept by Uber plus incentives plus holiday pay plus NLW rebate.

When you pay contributions into a pension Scheme, you need to bear in mind some tax rules and limits, please see below for further details.

To encourage savings the Government allows tax relief on pension contributions. How this tax relief is applied is dependent upon the method used for paying the contributions to the pension scheme. Your contributions will be deducted from your pay prior to the deduction of any income tax. This is known as the Net Pay arrangement. If you are deemed to be ‘self-employed’ from a tax perspective, tax relief on your pension contributions will need to be claimed through your normal end of year self-assessment tax return. We encourage you to seek independent tax advice on pension contributions.

We encourage you to seek independent tax advice on pension contributions.

No, but you will only receive tax relief on contributions up to 100% of your relevant UK earnings (including Uber’s contribution). This means, if you contribute over 100% of your relevant UK earnings, you may be taxed on that amount. You may also be subject to a tax charge if contributions exceed the Annual Allowance (see the ‘What if I pay too much in?’ section later in this FAQ for details). We encourage you to seek independent tax advice on pension contributions. 

You will be automatically enrolled, after the 3-month postponement period, at 5% of qualifying earnings payable by the worker and 3% of qualifying earnings payable from Uber. (see ‘What it costs to Join’ section). You are able to contribute more, but Uber will only match 3%. 

As a member of the Scheme, and as mentioned earlier, your contributions will be deducted from your ‘Gross Pay’ and paid across to NOW: PENSIONS. Uber contributions are paid Gross. If you are deemed to be ‘self-employed’ from a tax perspective, tax relief on your pension contributions will need to be claimed through your normal end of year self-assessment tax return.

Your contribution will be deducted from your weekly earnings and will be shown on your payment statement under ‘Expenses > Worker pension contributions”.

Uber and NOW:Pensions want you to get the best return on your hard-earned pension savings. NOW:Pensions have a well-researched ‘pension savings journey’ managed by professional advisers. It’s

designed to give you good value and positive long-term outcomes (although fund values can go down as well as up). They work to balance growing your pension savings over time with protecting your savings as you get closer to retirement. Additional information can be found in the Members Booklet

If you choose the Shariah fund, your pension savings are invested in the Shariah Fund provided by NOW: Pensions. This Fund aims to meet its investment objectives by investing in collective investment schemes that are Shariah-compliant, and non-interest-bearing cash.

The Shariah Fund invests mainly in global equities (shares in companies around the world). The Shariah Fund aims to deliver a return equal to the Dow Jones Islamic Market Titan 100 Index (the Islamic Index).

You can find out more about the Shariah Fund, including its investment objectives, in NOW Pensions Statement of Investment Principles (SIP) here. You can find out more about how your savings are invested in NOW Pensions Member Site found here.

Please seek independent tax/ financial advice, should you require this.

No. The types of investment used for protecting the value of pension savings as you get closer to retiring tend to be interest-paying and interest-earning investments such as bonds and cash.  Earning interest is not compatible with Shariah law, so a Shariah fund can’t use these types of investment. Please seek independent tax/ financial advice, should you require this.

From 11th October 2022, subject to eligibility, you will have the opportunity to switch to the Shariah Fund if you want to. Once your pension savings are in the Shariah Fund, you will not be able to participate in the Default Investment Option and Shariah Fund at the same time. Please note that there will be a period of time between the disinvestment from the Default Investment Option and the reinvestment of funds in the Shariah Fund. During this period, your funds will be ‘out of market’ meaning they are not invested in an investment fund. This period could last up to 5 working days, during which time the value of underlying investments could move up or down if the market changes during this period. If the market moved down, it may be that your funds could be reinvested into a greater number of underlying investment units; conversely, if the market moved up, your funds might only be able to invest in a reduced number of underlying investment units.  The risk of such changes is likely to be increased during periods of high market volatility. Uber cannot give any guarantees on how long your switch request will take to be fully processed as it is reliant on its service providers to affect the switches and this may depend on the volume of switch requests received.

Please also note that Uber cannot give you financial advice. If you are not sure what’s best for you, including whether it would be better to switch from the Default Investment Option to the Shariah Fund from the launch date, or a later date via the Adecco Communities Portal, we strongly recommend that you speak to an independent financial adviser (IFA) before making a decision. The Financial Conduct Authority website has information about finding a financial adviser here.

Yes, you can transfer other pensions in – although you will need to check the Scheme can accept the transfer, as not all pension savings can be transferred in. The Scheme Trustee will need to approve your transfer. To find out more, please contact the NOW: Pensions administration team using their secure webform at https://www.contactpensionsadmin.com/nowpensions.

Please note that you cannot participate in the Default Investment Option and Shariah Fund at the same time.

Yes. Please contact the NOW: Pensions administration team using their secure webform at https://www.contactpensionsadmin.com/nowpensions..

In the NOW: Pensions Portal you can: 

• Elect to pay Additional Voluntary Contributions online; 
• View your current fund value; Opt in to the pension scheme; 
• Opt out of the pension scheme;
• Update your contact details.

You can increase the level of your weekly contribution at any time. Please contact NOW:Pensions on:

NOW:Pensions portal: Portal login

Telephone: 0330 100 3334
Please bear in mind some tax rules and limits - Government guidance on taxation of private pension contributions, including information on annual and lifetime allowances, can be found here.

This is called the ‘opt out period’ and lasts for one calendar month.  If you opt out during this period you are eligible for a refund of any amounts paid in. The start and end dates of this period will be detailed in your enrolment notice. You will receive the enrolment notice from NOW: Pensions via email when you are enrolled. As of then you can opt out within the detailed opt out period. Every 3rd year from Uber’s staging date, Uber will need to automatically enrol you if you are eligible at that point and not in the Worker Pension Scheme. If you do not wish to remain in the Worker Pension Scheme you will need to opt out again. If you opt out, the balance you have contributed will be refunded.

You can still stop making contributions to the Worker Pension Scheme. In this case you will be considered a deferred member of the Scheme. The difference vs the opt out option is that the funds accumulated won’t be refunded and will remain invested in your NOW: Pensions Worker Pension Scheme, until such time you are able to access them at your chosen retirement date. In both options you can rejoin the Worker Pension Scheme.

Your pension can remain in the UK and can be paid to you wherever you choose to be when you retire. Taxation on pension depends on the country you are planning to transfer it to. For both situations please seek independent advice.

If you choose not to earn using the Uber app anymore you keep the fund you have built up under your individual account within the Scheme. You may: 

• Leave your benefits in your policy, where they will stay invested; 
• Transfer your fund to another pension arrangement; or
• Start taking benefits from your fund if you are over age 55. 

The most suitable option will depend on your situation at the time you leave. You may want to seek financial advice before deciding which route to take.

If you die before taking your benefits the fund you have built up to the date of your death will usually be paid to your beneficiary/beneficiaries as a cash lump sum and is usually free of any tax liability. Alternatively, it is possible that, rather than receive a lump sum payment, your beneficiaries can request that the value of the pension built up is retained as a pension to provide ongoing benefits. As with the lump sum, this is usually free of any tax liability. These benefits will be paid to your nominated beneficiaries or next of kin if you have not made a nomination. To make a nomination you need to complete an ‘Expression of Wish Form’ (please refer to the next section for a link to this form). 

If you die after accessing benefits the treatment of the fund you have built up depends on how you chose to receive those benefits and how old you are when you die. 

If you have purchased an annuity with the pension benefits you had, the benefits payable will depend upon how the annuity was set up when it was bought. For example, it may have a spouse’s or dependant’s pension included which will come into payment upon your death. Or, if no survivor options were selected, payments will cease upon your death.

You must fill in an ‘Expression of Wish Form’ outlining who you would like to receive any benefits following your death. Equally, if your personal situation changes, for example, you marry, divorce or become a parent, you may wish to update this. The form can be obtained here. 

Once you’ve filled your form in, post it back to: NOW: Pensions, Post Handling Centre, Maclaren House, Talbot Road, Stretford, Manchester, M32 0FP. Alternatively, you can scan your form and email it to: membersupport@nowpensions.com 

As mentioned above, if you die after taking benefits from the Scheme, the amounts payable to your beneficiaries will depend on how you chose to receive your benefits. This is an important situation to plan for and should be part of the financial advice you seek when you start to draw your benefits.

The Annual Allowance applies to all contributions, from you or any company, paid into all of your pension arrangements over a 12-month ‘pension input period’ (‘PIP’), which runs in line with the tax year (6th April to 5th April). 

If the contributions going into your policy during the tax year go over £60,000 (the Annual Allowance for the 2023/24 tax year) then the amount you have contributed above the Annual Allowance will be added to your taxable income, unless you have any unused Annual Allowance from the previous three tax years to cover the excess. If you still have an excess, you may pay tax on these at a rate equivalent to your highest rate of income tax. 

Please seek independent tax / financial advice, should you require this.

The Annual Allowance of £60,000 will reduce for anyone with ‘adjusted income’ above £260,000 a year. This is called the Tapered Annual Allowance. 

‘Adjusted income’ is taxable earnings from all sources plus the value of any pension contributions (including those made by your company) during the tax year. 

The Annual Allowance will reduce by £1 for every £2 of 'adjusted income' over £260,000, with a maximum reduction to the Annual Allowance of £36,000. This means those with adjusted income of £312,000 a year or more will have an Annual Allowance of £10,000. 

Please note that if your net income not including pension contributions (known as 'threshold income') is less than £200,000 a year, your Annual Allowance will not reduce, regardless of the level of ‘adjusted income’. 

If the total payments into the Scheme made by you and your company, plus contributions made to any other pension arrangements, are likely to be close to £60,000 in any tax year please seek financial advice before making any decisions.

If you draw your benefits due to ill health, as long as you satisfy HMRC’s requirements, the Annual Allowance will not apply to your benefits in that year. The same is true if you die while still building up your pension fund.

You may also have a lower annual allowance – called the Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA) - if certain ‘trigger events’ occur. Information about trigger events can be found here. 

Trigger events include: 

• Income paid from a Flexi Access Drawdown fund (but not if you just take the 25% Pension Commencement Lump Sum)
• Payment of an Uncrystallised Fund Pension Lump Sum
• Income of more than the permitted maximum level under an income drawdown arrangement that commenced prior to April 2015. 

The MPAA for 2023/24 is £10,000 meaning that, if applicable to you, this is the maximum amount you can pay into pensions without incurring a tax charge. 

Please seek financial advice before you proceed with a trigger event if your total pension contributions are close to the MPAA (or may become close to it in the future).

The Lifetime Allowance applies to the value of all the pension benefits you build up from almost all sources (apart from the State) over your working life. For the 2023/24 tax year the allowance is £1,073,100. 

Please note that widows’ pensions and other pensions paid following the death of someone else may not count towards the Lifetime Allowance. Overseas pensions may or may not be included, depending on the circumstances. 

You can build up benefits over the Lifetime Allowance, but you would have to pay a tax charge on the excess. This charge is 25% if you take these excess benefits as a pension or annuity, which would then also be subject to Income Tax. The charge goes up to 55% if you take the excess as cash. 

Please note that death benefits paid as lump sums from an HMRC approved registered life assurance arrangement also count towards the Lifetime Allowance. 

If these benefits, along with any other pensions or cash sums being paid, go over the allowance, a charge of 55% will apply to the excess, unless it is used to pay for dependants’ pensions. 

If you think your contributions or benefits may be close to any of the allowances, please consider taking financial advice.

If you join a company’s pension Scheme and/or registered life assurance scheme, either by completing an application form or as a result of automatic enrolment, you will lose your Enhanced or Fixed Protection. However, if you join a company’s pension scheme through automatic enrolment but opt out within the one-month period, you will be treated as if you have never been a member and you will not lose your protection. 

If you have Primary Protection, Individual Protection 2014 or if you have applied for / are going to apply for Individual Protection 2016, pension contributions can still be paid into your pension policy. Please note that you will have to pay a tax charge on any pension savings above your protected Lifetime Allowance. 

More information on protection and automatic enrolment is available on the HMRC website here. 

Neither Uber nor NOW: Pensions is responsible for any tax charge or loss of tax relief you incur through joining or being automatically enrolled into any pension.