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The New National Collective Pension Scheme for care workers: recommendations on maximising its impact

In this policy brief we draw on pension research conducted with direct care workers and social care and pensions’ experts, to consider the potential role of a National Collective Pension Scheme for the social care sector.

Publication details Foster, L. and Fisher, D. U. (2026). The New National Collective Pension Scheme for care workers: recommendations on maximising its impact. Centre for Care Briefing, CIRCLE, Sheffield: University of Sheffield

In this policy brief we draw on pension research conducted with direct care workers and social care and pensions’ experts, to consider the potential role of a National Collective Pension Scheme for the social care sector. Direct care workers are those in Care Assistant or Support Worker roles, or those that are one step up in senior care or supervisory roles. The research explores care workers’ experiences of pensions, and using these findings, we argue that the success of the National Collective Pension Scheme will depend on how the scheme is funded, promoted, and administered.

Recommendations

The main purpose of this brief is to provide recommendations for the government to consider when implementing the new scheme. These are:

  1. maximising scheme portability
  2. ensuring inclusivity and accessibility
  3. setting sufficient contribution levels
  4. providing accessible pensions information alongside the scheme
  5. mandating employers to create compulsory time for workers to access pensions information
  6. promoting pension conversations in workplaces
  7. promoting the scheme in recruitment and retention activities
  8. ensuring that the scheme is accompanied by improvements in wider pay and conditions in ASC
  9. undertaking further research which considers how the National Collective Pension Scheme could be funded, promoted, and administered, and what this means for the likely success of the scheme