Reports and Briefing Notes

Part Four - From Payslip to Pension: Life Course Impacts on Retirement Saving Among Low Earners

Modelling of Policy Options for Low Earners

Published on Wednesday 20 May 2026, The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) launched the fourth report in this series which explores what pension incomes, and retirement needs, different low earner profiles are projected to have under current policy.

_{This report explores the trade-offs associated with reforms to automatic enrolment thresholds and contribution structures. The publication of the Pensions Commission’s interim report on Tuesday 19 May 2026 marks an important moment in the national conversation around pensions adequacy, financial resilience and the long-term future of automatic enrolment. As policymakers consider how the pensions system can better support those at risk of poorer retirement outcomes, low earners remain central to the debate. This latest report in the series contributes new evidence to that discussion by examining how different automatic enrolment reforms could affect a range of persistent low earner groups.}

_{The From Payslip to Pension: Life Course Impacts on Retirement Saving Among Low Earners series has been funded by a grant from The Nuffield Foundation. The project will run until summer 2026 and consist of five individual outputs.}