Are you sure that that's the verbatim wording?
The sentence doesn't really make sense.
yes, that's the verbatim wording. There's another paragraph for non-eligible employees, where a PRSA is provided.
Only death in service benefit within the plan , would mean you are not a contributing employee to the pension …It’s a category for people where there might be a waiting period (ie probation) before you join or you opted out being a contributing member of the scheme for example but covered for death in service …..
The eligibility for death in service could be immediate upon joining and pension post probation.
You could possibily query what is defined as an“… to eligibie employees“ within that definition listed from HR as this would clarify when and what you had to do at that point in time. (Ie did you need to take action or should the employer/provider automatically include you) . It does mention “compulsory to join “within also so there should have been a query from provider to employer within the last 15 years why you were not contributing
Since it was a condition of employment, it is so strange that I was never queried in 15 years, why I was not contributing.
I assumed (wrongly) that I was. I even received some annual statements on the pension.
But now I'm told that that was the 'death in service' pension, and not the actual pension.
A cold reading says they should have been deducting 4.5% for 15 years but weren’t.
In mitigation it seems you as employee didn’t notice.
It’s worth your while talking to a solicitor specialised in employment law.
Is your employer in liquidation?
No, the employer is not in liquidation.
Yes, they should have been deducting and weren't.
Yes, I should have noticed.
I suppose somebody should have noticed/raised the question.
I was under the illusion that I was in the pension.
It came as a *huge* shock to find out that I was not.
So you never ever checked your payslips?
When you got pay rises, you didn't check to see if they went through?
A switched on HR would notify its employees every so often that they were not in the pension scheme.
My guess is that you did notice this 15 years ago but didn't worry about it as pensions were so far into the future.
Brendan
The payslips are PDF email attachments and protected with a PIN code.
In the early days, I had the PIN, but over time I forgot the PIN code, and just checked my bank balance.
I could (should) have re-requested the PIN code, but didn't.
Of course pension is more important to me nowadays than it was 15 yrs ago, but this has come to me as such a huge shock now,
I really don't think I knew at anytime. I don't think I noticed, and didn't worry about it. If I did know, I think I'd have some inkling now.
Also back in 2007, Lotus Notes was used, and it's possible - nobody knows for sure - that I was actually in the pension, and making deductions, etc. But there are no records back that far, so nobody knows.
It seems reasonable that someone would ask the question, at least once in 15 years - why was I not in the pension?
