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Aviva (Workplace): claiming higher rate tax relief

Aviva workplace schemes can be either RAS or Net Pay. Check your payslip or ask HR to confirm.

Example: a Aviva (Workplace) member earning £65,000 paying in £2,600 a year (£3,250 gross) is owed £650 for 2025/26 alone - about £2,600 over four years - none of which HMRC pays without a claim.

Check first: employers can run Aviva (Workplace) schemes as Relief at Source, Net Pay or salary sacrifice. Only Relief at Source contributions can be claimed - your payslip tells you which you have (see the questions below), or use our payslip checker.

Getting the evidence HMRC needs

Log in to MyAviva, open your workplace pension and use "Transactions" or the annual statement to total your own contributions per tax year. Check your payslip first: some employers run Aviva schemes as salary sacrifice, which cannot be claimed.

Our £99 claim pack turns your figures into the correctly worded HMRC letter, the year-by-year calculation and the evidence checklist - covered by a money-back guarantee if HMRC rejects it for eligibility reasons.

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Enter your salary to see if you're owed money

Aviva (Workplace) tax relief questions

Does Aviva (Workplace) claim higher rate tax relief for me?
No. Where your employer runs Aviva (Workplace) as Relief at Source, the scheme reclaims basic rate relief (20%) from HMRC and adds it to your pot. If you pay tax at 40% or 45% (42%, 45% or 48% in Scotland) the rest is only paid if you claim it from HMRC yourself.
How do I know if my scheme is Relief at Source?
Look at a payslip. If the pension appears in the deductions column next to Tax and NI and your taxable pay is NOT reduced by it, it is Relief at Source. If taxable pay is reduced, or the payslip says "salary sacrifice", "salary exchange" or "SMART", full relief is already given and there is nothing to claim.
How far back can I claim?
Four complete tax years (2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26). The oldest, 2022/23, can be claimed until 5 April 2027.
What evidence does HMRC need?
Since 1 September 2025 HMRC requires a statement from your provider showing your contributions for each tax year, with every claim. Log in to MyAviva, open your workplace pension and use "Transactions" or the annual statement to total your own contributions per tax year. Check your payslip first: some employers run Aviva schemes as salary sacrifice, which cannot be claimed.
Do I claim on my Self Assessment return or by letter?
If you filed a return for the year, enter the gross contribution in the "relief at source" box on that return (or amend it within 12 months of the filing deadline). Otherwise you claim in writing to HMRC or through HMRC's online service, enclosing the evidence.
Full calculator →Am I eligible? →Relief at Source vs Net Pay →All providers →