One in three people (31%) accepted a new job with no idea about whether it came with a pension, meaning they ignored a benefit that’s typically worth thousands of pounds a year, the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has warned.

Its latest survey showed that 25% started their first day in a new job not knowing if a pension was on offer, while 6% signed an employment contract ignorant about the pension provision.

With the Government estimating that 14 million people are set to suffer an inadequate retirement income, the NAPF is urging employers and the HR profession to make pensions a bigger part of the recruitment process.

Joanne Segars, NAPF Chief Executive, said:

“It’s deeply worrying that so many people start a new job clueless about whether a pension is on offer. And sadly employers aren’t doing enough to help them.

“Britain is facing a crisis when it comes to saving enough for its retirement. People need to wake up to the fact that some workplace pensions are worth a huge chunk of annual pay.

“Auto-enrolment into a pension from 2012 means it is even more important for employers to start being more upfront about their pension.”