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Earnings thresholds

Every year, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reviews the earnings thresholds for automatic enrolment. Where there’s a change, we’ll update this page with the new thresholds after DWP has announced them.

The changes take effect from the start of the next tax year following the changes on 6 April.

Here you can find the earnings thresholds for the current tax year, broken down by pay frequency, plus the historic earnings thresholds starting from when the law was introduced in the 2012 - 2013 tax year.

The DWP have announced the annual thresholds for the 2023 - 2024 tax year.

Earnings thresholds for the current tax year 2023-2024

Pay reference period
2023 - 2024 Annual 1 week Fortnight 4 weeks 1 month 1 quarter Bi-annual
Lower level of qualifying earnings £6,240 £120 £240 £480 £520 £1,560 £3,120
Earnings trigger for automatic enrolment £10,000 £192 £384 £768 £833 £2,499 £4,998
Upper level of qualifying earnings £50,270 £967 £1,934 £3,867 £4,189 £12,568 £25,135

Earnings thresholds for the previous tax years

Pay reference period
2022/23 Annual
1 week Fortnight 4 weeks  1 month 1 quarter  Bi-annual
Lower level of qualifying earnings
£6,240
£120
£240
£480  £520
£1,560
£3,120 
Earnings trigger for automatic enrolment
£10,000
£192  £384
£768
£833
£2,499
£4,998 
Upper level of qualifying earnings
£50,270
£967  £1,934
£3,867
£4,189  £12,568
£25,135 
Pay reference period
2021/22 Annual
1 week Fortnight 4 weeks  1 month 1 quarter  Bi-annual
Lower level of qualifying earnings
£6,240
£120
£240
£480  £520
£1,560
£3,120 
Earnings trigger for automatic enrolment
£10,000
£192  £384
£768
£833
£2,499
£4,998 
Upper level of qualifying earnings
£50,270
£967  £1,934
£3,867
£4,189  £12,568
£25,135 
Pay reference period
2020/21 Annual
1 week Fortnight 4 weeks  1 month 1 quarter  Bi-annual
Lower level of qualifying earnings
£6,240
£120
£240
£480  £520
£1,560
£3,120 
Earnings trigger for automatic enrolment
£10,000
£192  £384
£768
£833
£2,499
£4,998 
Upper level of qualifying earnings
£50,000
£962  £1,924
£3,847
£4,167  £12,500
£25,000 
Pay reference period
2019/20 Annual
1 week Fortnight 4 weeks  1 month 1 quarter  Bi-annual
Lower level of qualifying earnings
£6,136
£118
£236
£472  £512
£1,534
£3,068 
Earnings trigger for automatic enrolment
£10,000
£192  £384
£768
£833
£2,499
£4,998 
Upper level of qualifying earnings
£50,000
£962  £1,924
£3,847
£4,167  £12,500
£25,000 
Pay reference period
2018-2019 Annual
1 week Fortnight 4 weeks  1 month 1 quarter  Bi-annual
Lower level of qualifying earnings
£6,032
£116
£232
£464  £503
£1,508
£3,016 
Earnings trigger for automatic enrolment
£10,000
£192  £384
£768
£833
£2,499
£4,998 
Upper level of qualifying earnings
£46,350
£892  £1,783
£3,566
£3,863  £11,588
£23,175 
Pay reference period
2017 - 2018 Annual 1 week Fortnight 4 weeks 1 month 1 quarter Bi-annual
Lower level of qualifying earnings £5,876 £113 £226 £452 £490 £1,469 £2,938
Earnings trigger for automatic enrolment £10,000 £192 £384 £768 £833 £2,499 £4,998
Upper level of qualifying earnings £45,000 £866 £1,731 £3,462 £3,750 £11,250 £22,500
Pay reference period
2016 - 2017 Annual 1 week Fortnight 4 weeks 1 month 1 quarter Bi-annual
Lower level of qualifying earnings £5,824 £112 £224 £448 £486 £1,456 £2,912
Earnings trigger for automatic enrolment £10,000 £192 £384 £768 £833 £2,499 £4,998
Upper level of qualifying earnings £43,000 £827 £1,654 £3,308 £3,583 £10,750 £21,500
Pay reference period
2015 - 2016 Annual 1 week Fortnight 4 weeks 1 month 1 quarter Bi-annual
Lower level of qualifying earnings £5,824 £112 £224 £448 £486 £1,456 £2,912
Earnings trigger for automatic enrolment £10,000 £192 £384 £768 £833 £2,499 £4,998
Upper level of qualifying earnings £42,385 £815 £1,631 £3,261 £3,532 £10,597 £21,193

Pay reference period
2014 - 2015 Annual 1 week Fortnight 4 weeks 1 month 1 quarter Bi-annual
Lower level of qualifying earnings £5,772 £111 £222 £444 £481 £1,443 £2,886
Earnings trigger for automatic enrolment £10,000 £192 £384 £768 £833 £2,499 £4,998
Upper level of qualifying earnings £41,865 £805 £1,611 £3,221 £3,489 £10,467 £20,933
Pay reference period
2013 - 2014 Annual 1 week Fortnight 4 weeks 1 month 1 quarter Bi-annual
Lower level of qualifying earnings £5,668 £109 £218 £436 £473 £1,417 £2,834
Earnings trigger for automatic enrolment £9,440 £182 £364 £727 £787 £2,360 £4,720
Upper level of qualifying earnings £41,450 £797 £1,594 £3,188 £3,454 £10,363 £20,725
Pay reference period
2012 - 2013 Annual 1 week Fortnight 4 weeks 1 month 1 quarter 4 monthly Bi-annual
Lower level of qualifying earnings £5,564 £107 £214 £428 £464 £1,391 £1,855 £2,782
Earnings trigger for automatic enrolment £8,105 £156 £312 £624 £676 £2,027 £2,702 £4,053
Upper level of qualifying earnings £42,475 £817 £1,634 £3,268 £3,540 £10,619 £14,159 £21,238