Eligible, Non-Eligible Jobholders and Entitled Workers

Jobholders

Together, non-eligible jobholders and eligible jobholders make up the jobholders group. So, jobholders are workers who:

• are aged between 16 and 74 
• are working or ordinarily work in the UK under their contract 
• have qualifying earnings payable by the employer in the relevant pay reference period.

Eligible jobholders

This category of jobholders are called this because they are ‘eligible’ for automatic enrolment. These are workers who:

• are aged between 22 and state pension age 
• are working or ordinarily work in the UK under their contract 
• have qualifying earnings payable by the employer in the relevant pay reference period that are above the earnings trigger (£10,000 for 2015/16) for automatic enrolment.

Non-eligible jobholders

This category of jobholders are called this because they are not eligible for automatic enrolment but can choose to opt in to a pension scheme. These include workers who either:

• are aged between 16 and 74 
• are working or ordinarily work in the UK under their contract 
• have qualifying earnings payable by the employer in the relevant pay reference period but below the earnings trigger for automatic enrolment

or

• are aged between 16 and 21, or state pension age and 74 
• are working or ordinarily work in the UK under their contract 
• have qualifying earnings payable by the employer in the relevant pay reference period that are above the earnings trigger for automatic enrolment.

Entitled workers

They are called this because they are ‘entitled’ to join a pension scheme. These are workers who:

• are aged between 16 and 74 
• are working or ordinarily work in the UK under their contract 
• do not have qualifying earnings payable by the employer in the relevant pay reference period.