MoneyBBCYou may want to think about when you pay into your pensionNicholas Dawson12:45, 06 Jul 2026Martin Lewis has shed light on a pension contribution rule that could significantly boost your retirement savings. He outlined how a variety of people in different circumstances may be able to take advantage of the allowance.‌The money expert discussed the little-known rule on his BBC podcast, after a worker wrote in with a query about how much they ought to be contributing to their private pension. As Mr Lewis talked through the rules to note in his response, he highlighted one particular allowance you may not be aware of. The savings expert said: "There is a rule that says you can contribute £3,600 to a pension even for a non taxpayer, or the non taxpayer can do it themselves, and they still get relief.‌Tax relief boost"So you can put £2,880 a year into a pension. The relief will come in - in a private pension - which will mean they actually have £3,600 saved on the back of putting £2,880 in." This refers to the fact that even if you are not paying tax, such as if you have no income due to being out of work, you can still put up to £3,600 a year into a private pension.‌State Pensioners to face major tax changeThose in this position receive 20 per cent tax relief on their pension contributions, which your pension provider will claim on your behalf as your payments are added to the pot. Therefore, you effectively only need to contribute £2,880 to receive the full amount, as the additional £720 in tax relief will be reclaimed by your provider and added to reach the £3,600 contribution.‌Mr Lewis outlined several scenarios where this allowance could prove beneficial. Mr Lewis said: "You can do that for a child, you can do that for a baby."Grandparents can do it, parents can do it, aunties and uncles can do it. It's often a great way for grandparents to put money away for their grandchildren and be remembered."Article continues below'Really important'The initial enquiry came from a 23-year-old worker who had recently begun their first job after completing university. Mr Lewis praised them for giving thought to their pension contributions at such a young age.The finance expert also explained why contributing to your pension as early as possible in your career is vital. He explained: "It's really important, because the earlier you start putting money into a pension, the reason it's beneficial, is you'll have it in an investment."That investment can compound over so many years. " He provided some rough figures to demonstrate why starting early makes such a significant difference: "For every £1 you put in in your early 20s, you're going to have to put in £30 in your 50s to get the same result. It's so worthwhile doing it early when you've got disposable income."Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌BBCPensionsTaxMartin LewisHMRCDepartment for Work and Pensions