About NEST
NEST was established by the UK government to make auto-enrolment achievable for any employer, regardless of size. It serves over 12 million members across more than a million UK employers, by far the largest workplace pension by membership.
Costs to members are slightly higher than commercial master trusts (a 1.8% contribution charge on top of the 0.3% AMC) but the employer pays nothing. NEST cannot refuse any employer, which makes it the de-facto safety net for micro and small businesses meeting their auto-enrolment duties.
What's included
Free for employers
No setup or ongoing employer fees. Member charges fund the entire scheme.
Government-backed
Public service obligation means NEST cannot refuse any employer, making it the universal fallback for auto-enrolment.
Multiple default fund options
Higher Risk Fund, Lower Risk Fund, Ethical Fund, and Sharia Fund all available to members.
Payroll integrations
Direct integrations with all major UK payroll providers for automated contribution submission.
Compare with
Smart Pension
Smart Pension is a digital-first workplace pension master trust used by 70,000+ UK employers. Quick...
Compare →
Aviva
Aviva is one of the UK's largest workplace pension providers, offering Group Personal Pension (GPP) schemes...
Compare →
Penfold
Penfold is a digital workplace pension built for modern SMEs and self-employed workers. Simple setup,...
Compare →Brokers we work with
UK brokers that typically place NEST business. Run a PerkIQ Healthcheck first, then take the output to one of these for a tighter procurement conversation.
Building a benefits stack? Start with the gaps.
Score your current package against the UK SME market in 5 minutes, see exactly where NEST (or alternatives) fit, and get a tailored shortlist.
Information on this page is editorial, gathered from public sources and provider materials, and does not constitute financial advice or a recommendation. For a quote, contact NEST directly or speak to an FCA-authorised broker. PerkIQ is not a NEST reseller and earns no commission on provider sign-ups.
