With your permission we would like to link your Understanding Society survey data with your pension data.

We will be linking from the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) which manages workplace pensions for millions of people, right across the UK.

NEST keeps records of the contributions that employers and employees make into their pension accounts, along with other administrative information on its customers. By combining some of this information with the responses you have provided in Understanding Society we can get a better picture of who is saving in the NEST scheme and how their retirement savings are building up.

If you would prefer to read this information in a leaflet, you can download a pdf version of the leaflet Linking your survey data with your pensions records (PDF 350 KB)

What information will NEST share with Understanding Society?

If NEST finds that you have an account with them they will share the following information with Understanding Society:

• How and when you were enrolled in NEST and how many times you been enrolled, either by yourself or by one or more of your employers.
• How your membership of NEST has changed since your enrolment – for example, if you’ve ever stopped your contributions or opted out.
• The size, industry sectors and geographic locations of any employers who have enrolled you in NEST.
• The dates and amounts of contributions you or your employers have paid into your account.
• How much you have saved in your NEST account, including any contributions you may have invested directly, and how this is invested.
• Whether you’ve transferred or withdrawn any money from your account, and if so, how much, in what form, and when you took it.

Who will use this information?

Like your survey responses, the additional information would be used by academic and social policy researchers for non-profit use. It will not be used for sales or marketing research. Any sensitive information would only be made available to researchers under restricted access agreements, so the information is used responsibly and safely. Names and addresses are never included in the results and no individual can be identified from the research.

What does my permission cover?

Information can only be released with your permission. To make the link between pension records and your survey responses, we would need to pass on personal information to the government department and agencies holding the record.

These personal details will only be used to identify your information. Before the department or agency sends any information your name and other personal details will be removed. None of your survey answers will be shared with government departments or agencies and your current and future dealings with these organisations will not change.

Like the answers you have given us in the survey, the NEST pension information will be treated in confidence and in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

How long does my consent last?

We would like to add information relating to your present, past and future circumstances. We are not putting an expiry date to this consent as we do no know exactly when we will obtain and add the information.

We will remind you regularly of the permissions you have given, and you are free to withdraw your consent at any time. If you do choose to withdraw your consent, we will no longer link your records to your survey responses going forward. However, we will retain data which has been previously linked if you gave us permission.

What about data security?

Your survey answers and pensions records will be anonymised and will only be used for research and statistics. We are extremely security conscious, and all our systems are password protected and only accessed by a small number of authorised staff.

The information we need to exchange with the government department will be sent via secure transfer systems. We follow the most up-to-date data security protocols and are compliant with the standards of the ISO 27001 data security protocols and procedures. Your personal details, such as your name, contact details and data of birth, will be secure at all times.

Are there any risks involved in giving permission?

There are no risks associated with linking your NEST records to your survey responses.

Do I have to link my data?

No, linking your data is completely voluntary.

Has the study been reviewed and approved by an Ethics Committee?

Yes, in this case the study has been approved by the NHS Health Research Authority, East of England – Essex Research Ethics Committee, reference: 22/EE/0260.

What if I change my mind?

If you wish to withdraw your permission at any point in the future, please write to us:

FREEPOST RRXX-KEKJ-JGKS

Understanding Society, University of Essex

Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ

Please sign and date your letter.

What if I have concerns?

If you have any concerns about any aspect of the study, or you have a complaint, in the first instance please contact us on Freephone 0800 252 853 or by email contact@understandingsociety.ac.uk. They will pass the information onto the principal investigator of the project, Professor Michaela Benzeval.

If are still concerned, or if you think your complaint has not been addressed to your satisfaction, or you feel that you cannot approach the principal investigator, please contact the departmental Director of Research in the department responsible for this project, Professor Paul Clarke, pclarke@essex.ac.uk.  

If you are still not satisfied, please contact the University’s Research Governance and Planning Manager , Mantalena Sotiriadou, ms21994@essex.ac.uk.