Civil service pension employer contributions are 28.97% of pensionable earnings in every pay band from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027.
That is the figure on the scheme's employer page, read on 29 October 2026. Members of the partnership pension account are treated differently, with an employer rate set by age rather than pay. For a chat about your own pay and pension choices, an FCA-authorised adviser will call without charge if you send this page's form.
What rate does the civil service pay as employer?
The Civil Service Pension Scheme's employer contribution rates page lists four pay bands, up to £23,000, £23,001 to £45,500, £45,501 to £77,000 and £77,001 and above. For the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027 each of them carries the same rate, 28.97%. An employers' notice adds that the rates "were confirmed in EPN698 and will be effective until 1 April 2027".
The page also shows what the bands paid before. From 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2024 the employer rate rose with pay:
- up to £23,000: 26.6%
- £23,001 to £45,500: 27.1%
- £45,501 to £77,000: 27.9%
- £77,001 and above: 30.3%
The employer's rate is separate from what members pay, which is covered on civil service pension contribution rates.
How much does the employer put into a partnership pension account?
In the partnership pension account the employer rate depends on age, not pay. The member page says it is set by your age on the last 6 April, so it "may increase in the future":
| Age at the last 6 April | Employer pays (share of pensionable earnings) |
|---|---|
| Under 31 | 8% |
| 31 to 35 | 9% |
| 36 to 40 | 11% |
| 41 to 45 | 13.5% |
| 46 and over | 14.75% |
The scheme says the employer makes these payments "even if you do not contribute". If you do pay in, the employer matches your contribution up to 3% of pensionable earnings, on top of the age-related amount. In its example, paying 2% brings 2% from the employer, and paying 5% brings an extra 3%, because the match stops at 3%.
Partnership employers also pay a 0.5% charge, called a mini-ASLC, to the Cabinet Office Civil Superannuation Vote towards death in service and ill health retirement benefits.
What do employer contributions mean for members?
In alpha the employer's payment is not a pot with your name on it. The scheme's alpha factsheet says the employer contributions "are used to cover the cost of the scheme and do not equate to how much pension you have accrued". Your pension is built by a percentage of your own pensionable earnings each year instead, which how much civil service pension you will get explains.
The Civil Superannuation annual account for 2024 to 2025 describes the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme and alpha as unfunded, with benefits paid "from public funds provided by Parliament". The account adds that both member and employer contributions go to the Exchequer. For more on what that means for security, see is the civil service pension a good deal.
In partnership the position is the reverse: the scheme says the pot at retirement depends on the contributions paid in and the investment return after charges, and that the Government cannot guarantee it. Employer contributions are based on your gross pay, and they stop if you leave the job, although the scheme says the fund remains yours. What happens to a defined benefit pension when you leave is on leaving the civil service.
How the 28.97% was set, and what follows in April 2027
The rate comes from a valuation of the scheme, not a yearly decision. The Civil Superannuation annual account for 2024 to 2025 (HC 1475) says the contributions due from employers and members are set by the scheme actuary at the scheme's four-yearly valuation. The valuation as at 31 March 2020 was completed in September 2023 and took the employer rate for alpha and the closed PCSPS sections to 28.97% of pensionable pay for three years from 1 April 2024, which the account describes as an increase from 27.0%. The next valuation, as at 31 March 2024, was under way when the account was written, and any change it requires "will be implemented from 1 April 2027". Until a new rate is announced, the 28.97% runs to 31 March 2027.
The sums are large. Note 5 of the same account shows employers paid £6.58 billion in contributions in 2024 to 2025, up from £5.73 billion the year before. Employers also bear the cost of running the scheme through an administration levy included in what they pay: 0.27% of pay from 1 April 2024, and 0.32% before that.
Whether a change after March 2027 touches your plans is worth raising with the FCA-authorised adviser who phones once your enquiry has gone in through this page. The scheme's employer page links a PDF of past rates, and your HR team can say whether a new notice has been issued.
Other schemes' employer rates
Other public sector schemes set their own rates: see NHS pension employer contributions, LGPS employer contributions and police pension employer contributions. For a choice between sections, which civil service pension scheme is best compares alpha and partnership, and extra payments are on topping up a civil service pension.
Employer rate questions
Do higher earners get a higher employer rate?
Not any more. The four bands all show 28.97% from 1 April 2024, where the previous period rose from 26.6% to 30.3% with pay. Partnership is the exception, where the rate follows age.
Does the employer pay into partnership if I pay nothing?
Yes. The scheme says you do not have to contribute, and the age-related contribution is still paid. The extra matching amount only arrives when you contribute yourself.
Do bonuses attract employer contributions?
Only pensionable ones. The scheme's partnership page says bonuses do not normally count as pensionable earnings, but where a bonus is pensionable, the employer pays contributions on it.
Is 14.75% the highest employer contribution?
It is the top age-related rate for partnership, paid at 46 and over, and a member who pays in can get up to 3% of pensionable earnings more as the employer's match. It is a different kind of contribution from the 28.97% in the pay-band table, which is shown by pay band, not age.
Where can I check which rate applies to me?
Ask your payroll or HR team, or look at the scheme's employer and member pages; MoneyHelper also gives free general guidance on pensions. For partnership, the scheme's member page says that, as a rule, only permanent items of pay are pensionable, and that some payments, like overtime, are not included.
Sources
- The scheme's employer page on its rates by band and age, read 29 October 2026
- Employer knowledge article KA-01230 (EPN743, member contributions for 2026/27), which confirms the employer rate period, read 29 October 2026
- Member knowledge article KA-01217, on the partnership pension account, read 29 October 2026
- Employer guide section 4.2, on joining partnership, read 29 October 2026
- The scheme's alpha contributions explained factsheet, read 29 October 2026
- GOV.UK, Civil Superannuation annual account 2024 to 2025 (HC 1475), read 29 October 2026