Unpaid and Family Leave

If you go onto reduced pay due to maternity or other family leave the following will happen:

• you pay contributions on the pay you receive;
• your employer pays the difference between your contributions and the total contributions needed by the scheme.

This means that the employer will pay a much higher amount than normal towards your pension.

If you go onto unpaid leave neither you nor your employer will pay any contributions. When you return you will have the opportunity to pay the contributions you would have paid if you had been working normally. If you pay your contributions the employer has to pay their share.

If you go onto reduced pay due to sick leave you and your employer have to pay the contributions due on your full pay.

If this would cause hardship to you, you can write to the Pensions Office and ask for your contributions to be suspended until you return to work.

If you go onto unpaid sick leave neither you nor your employer will pay any contributions. When you return you will have the opportunity to pay the contributions you would have paid if you had been working normally. You would also have to pay the employer contributions if your employer does not wish to do so.

This would be the same as for unpaid sick leave (see above section).