Which statement best describes auto-enrolment eligibility triggers for employer contributions?

• A. Voluntarily contributing more than the minimum.
• B. Opting out within the first month after enrollment.
• C. Meeting the minimum earnings trigger to gain employer contributions.
• D. Becoming self-employed.

Answer: (C)

Auto-enrolment and employer contributions hinge on earnings levels. You only become eligible for auto-enrolment—and thus for employer contributions—when your pay meets the minimum earnings trigger (the threshold used for auto-enrolment, such as the lower earnings limit). If your earnings are at or above that trigger, the employer must contribute a minimum amount into your workplace pension. If you fall below the trigger, you aren’t auto-enrolled and there’s no required employer contribution. The other ideas don’t set the trigger: voluntarily contributing more doesn’t create eligibility, opting out doesn’t trigger contributions, and becoming self-employed removes you from the employer’s pension arrangement.