Pension match calculator
The pay rise you have to ask for.
Your employer’s match is free money, but only if you claim it. This works out exactly what you’re leaving behind at your current contribution rate, and what claiming the rest would be worth by the time you retire.
Your plan
Before tax, whatever’s on your contract.
Free money left on the table, every year
At 3% you are leaving £700 a year of employer match unclaimed. Claiming the full 5% match would cost you an extra £700 a year out of your own pay, and would be worth £160,121 more in your pension pot after 30 years.
That’s what your employer would add if you claimed the full 5% match instead of 3%.
£160,121
£700
Your employer matches pound for pound up to the cap, so your extra outlay and their extra contribution are the same number - yours leaves your pay this month, theirs is free from day one.
Claiming the full match versus staying as you are
That’s the gap in your pension pot after 30 years - the same salary, the same growth rate, just a different contribution rate.
| Year | Claiming the full match | As you are now |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | £0 | £0 |
| 1 | £4,066 | £2,440 |
| 2 | £8,427 | £5,056 |
| 3 | £13,102 | £7,861 |
| 4 | £18,116 | £10,869 |
| 5 | £23,491 | £14,095 |
| 6 | £29,256 | £17,554 |
| 7 | £35,437 | £21,262 |
| 8 | £42,065 | £25,239 |
| 9 | £49,172 | £29,503 |
| 10 | £56,793 | £34,076 |
| 11 | £64,965 | £38,979 |
| 12 | £73,728 | £44,237 |
| 13 | £83,124 | £49,874 |
| 14 | £93,200 | £55,920 |
| 15 | £104,003 | £62,402 |
| 16 | £115,588 | £69,353 |
| 17 | £128,010 | £76,806 |
| 18 | £141,330 | £84,798 |
| 19 | £155,613 | £93,368 |
| 20 | £170,929 | £102,557 |
| 21 | £187,352 | £112,411 |
| 22 | £204,962 | £122,977 |
| 23 | £223,845 | £134,307 |
| 24 | £244,093 | £146,456 |
| 25 | £265,805 | £159,483 |
| 26 | £289,086 | £173,452 |
| 27 | £314,051 | £188,430 |
| 28 | £340,820 | £204,492 |
| 29 | £369,524 | £221,714 |
| 30 | £400,303 | £240,182 |
How this works
By law your employer must pay in at least 3% (unchanged since April 2019; band stated for 2026/27) and you at least 5% (unchanged since April 2019; band stated for 2026/27) of qualifying earnings - plenty of employers offer to match more than that if you put in more, which is the free money this calculator is about. Every pound you contribute gets basic-rate tax relief added on top, so an £80 payment becomes £100 in your pot (2026 to 2027 tax year (basic rate 20% on £12,571-£50,270)). This assumes no pay rises along the way, the same contribution rates and growth rate for the whole 30-year run, relief-at-source rather than salary sacrifice (so no National Insurance saving is included), and takes no view on investment charges. This is not financial advice. These are ideas to make you a little bit richer.
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