Enter your salary and see the real gap. Public sector workers get a guaranteed, inflation-linked pension funded by taxpayers. Private sector workers get whatever the market gives them. The total unfunded public sector pension liability is £2.6 trillion. That's your bill.
Public sector accrual rates: Civil Service & Teachers 1/57th (CARE), NHS 1/54th (CARE), Local Govt 1/49th (CARE), Police 1/55.3th, Fire 1/59.7th. Employer contributions: Civil Service 27.9%, NHS 23.7%, Teachers 28.6%, Local Govt 21.8%, Police 35.3%, Fire 29.3% (Source: HM Treasury, scheme valuations 2024). Private sector: auto-enrolment minimum 8% total (3% employer, 5% employee) on qualifying earnings. Growth assumed at 5% nominal, annuity rate 5%. State pension age 68. All figures in today's money. Source: DWP, ONS ASHE, TPA.