Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support people working in the gig-economy to save for retirement.

As set out in the 2017 Review of Automatic Enrolment, a large proportion of those working in the gig economy potentially already come within the scope of the Automatic Enrolment framework, if they meet the relevant eligibility rules including age and earnings criteria. The Pensions Regulator has a statutory objective to maximise employer compliance with the automatic enrolment obligations.

In addition, the Government set out its vision for the future of the labour market and ambitious plans for implementing the recommendations arising from the 2017 Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices. In its December 2018 Good Work plan the Government committed to legislate to improve the clarity of the employment status tests, reflecting the reality of modern working relationships.

We will ensure any changes are also considered in relation to Automatic Enrolment so that there is coherence and clarity for individuals and businesses about who is eligible for automatic enrolment, meaning as many eligible workers as possible can save for retirement.

The self-employed are able to opt in to Automatic Enrolment through the NEST Corporation, who have a Public Service Obligation to accept self-employed savers (since March 2018), and a significant number do so.