Department for Culture, Media and Sport Responds to CMC Policy Briefing No. 3

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has responded to Culture Meets Capital's Policy Briefing No. 3, The Enrolment Gap: Automatic Enrolment, Multiple Jobs and the Cultural Workforce, and has invited CMC to discuss the briefing with officials.

In its response of 20 July 2026 (ref TO2026/06161/FM), the Department wrote:

We would be interested to discuss the briefing further, the relevant officials will be in touch with you shortly to arrange a suitable time.

Policy Briefing No. 3 examines a structural gap in UK workplace pension provision. Many people in the cultural and creative workforce build their income through multiple employers, sessional contracts and portfolio roles. Their combined earnings may exceed the £10,000 automatic enrolment trigger while no single employment does, leaving them outside the default that automatic enrolment was designed to provide.

The briefing argues that this is a question of system design rather than employer non-compliance. Workers in this position may hold the right to opt in, but a right that depends on awareness and individual action is not equivalent to automatic enrolment.

Culture Meets Capital welcomes the Department's interest and looks forward to contributing evidence as the Pensions Commission continues its work on retirement adequacy and under-saving.