Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Individual Savings Account (known as an ISA)?
Is this a fixed term ISA?

No. The interest rate of the cash ISA may be changed at any time. There is no minimum time that you have to keep the ISA with Aviva (but this is subject to the relevant regulations on notice periods).

What is an Individual Savings Account (known as an ISA)?

An ISA (known as Individual Savings Account) is a savings and investment plan. You do not pay tax on the interest you earn or on the increase in the value of your investment. There are currently three main types of ISAs that share the current ISA allowance:

  • cash ISAs
  • stocks and shares ISAs
  • innovative finance ISA
What is my ISA allowance?

Your total ISA allowance in each tax year is £20,000 and is shared across all types of ISAs.

Can I pay into the pension, ISA and Student Loan?

Yes, if you would like to pay towards all or some of the options available, you can do so. You will need to pay a minimum of 3% into the ISA and/or Student Loan.

How much does SAP pay if I choose a Savings Choices combination of ISA, Student Loan repayment and pension?

SAP will pay 9% into the pension. This happens whether:

  • you opt to redirect your pension contributions to the ISA and/or Student Loan, or
  • you choose to stay in the pension with a 5% contribution and also pay to one or both of the ISA and Student Loan. SAP makes no further contributions whichever of the above you select, except for any NI passback from your pension contributions.
What are the benefits of an ISA?
  • No tax is due on the interest you earn. This equates to a 20% saving for basic rate taxpayers, 40% saving for higher rate and a 45% saving for additional rate taxpayers. The interest does not need to be taken into account when working out your Personal Savings Allowance.
  • You will not pay any tax on the increase in the value of your investments.
  • The Cash ISA gives you instant access – allowing regular withdrawals.

Note

  • Please bear in mind that personal contributions to an ISA do not get tax relief at your highest rate - unlike the pension - and should not be considered as a replacement to a pension.
  • Aviva provides both the SAP corporate cash and stocks and shares ISA. Aviva do not currently offer innovative ISAs.
  • If you stop paying into these ISAs and are not paying 3% or more into a Student Loan, SAP will reinstate your personal contribution of 5% into the pension.
Why have you chosen this provider?

SAP UK has selected Aviva for this workplace ISA arrangement through their My Money workplace savings platform. Aviva is one of the market leaders in the workplace savings sector with a well-known brand and strong financial ratings.

Can I have more than one ISA?

Yes. You can have more than one ISA. However, you cannot open and pay into more than one cash ISA, stocks and shares ISA or innovative finance ISA in any one tax year.

How to apply
How do I sign up for an Aviva Workplace ISA?

There are a few actions to select the ISA as follows. Please ensure you follow each:

  • If you would like to open either the cash or stocks and shares ISA with Aviva, please select this option on the benefits platform.
  • You will receive an acknowledgement of your ISA selection, via email, directly from Aviva.
  • Once you have received your acknowledgement you will then need to register for Aviva’s My Money site (unless you have already an account open).
  • Once you have registered for My Money please log on and complete your ISA declaration (you will need to complete a separate one for the cash and stocks and shares ISA depending on which or both, you wish to invest in) as soon as possible.
  • SAP will not be able to pass your ISA savings to Aviva until the declaration has been completed.

Note - These login details will come from the Aviva email address do-not-reply@aviva.com.

  • You will need to access the My Money site at www.avivamymoney.co.uk/Login
  • SAP will start deducting your selected % of basic salary from April (or date of selection if you applied for Savings Choices after this date) and will pay your contributions to Aviva once you have completed the ISA declaration.
  • Please note that if you delay applying for the ISA via the Aviva site SAP will continue to deduct contributions, based on your request, and will pay in the accrued sum once you have completed the declaration. It is, therefore, important that you complete your declaration accurately and shortly after receiving your login details.
How quickly will Aviva set up my ISA account?

Once you have logged into the My Money portal and registered for an ISA, either cash or stocks and shares, the ISA savings product(s) will be active immediately and ready to accept contributions.

SAP will deduct your contribution from your salary and pay it to Aviva within 7 days of salary deduction if you've set up AVIVA Account. Once it has been paid across it will show in your online ISA account.

Will Aviva confirm when my account has been setup?

Once your stocks and shares and/or cash ISA has been set up, Aviva will issue you with an ISA declaration and an account schedule detailing the ISA you have applied for. These documents, the ISA Key Features document and terms and conditions will be added in your My Money online account in the document library.

I have lost/not received my Aviva login details, how can I get them emailed to me?

Please call Aviva’s SAP My Money helpdesk on 0345 604 9915 and they will resend your login details. For security reasons they do not accept a request by email.

How do I contact Aviva?

If you wish to contact Aviva to set up a personal Direct Debit Mandate to pay in more than 20% of basic salary to the ISA, for details on how to make a single payment, or any other ISA related query, call the Aviva Customer Services team on 0345 604 9915. The My Money telephone helpline is available Monday to Friday between 8am and 5.30pm.

Can I open an Aviva Workplace cash ISA if I have already opened a cash ISA elsewhere this tax year?

Yes, but only if you transfer the current tax year cash ISA to Aviva before the contribution is applied from SAP. You also need to have sufficient ISA allowance.

You can open an Aviva Workplace cash ISA if you currently only have an existing stocks and shares ISA in this tax year.

You can also open an Aviva Workplace stocks and shares ISA if you only have an existing cash ISA in this tax year, provided you have not exceeded your current tax year ISA allowance of £20,000.

Interest and charges
Are there any charges on my Aviva ISAs?

Cash ISA - There are two charges that you may be subject to:

  • If you want to receive money from a withdrawal quicker than the normal three to five days BACs payment there will be a £25 CHAPS charge.
  • If you want an additional paper statement on top of the annual statement issued there will be a £10 charge.
If I make a withdrawal will it affect my interest rate?

No. Withdrawing funds from your Aviva cash ISA will not affect the interest rate. In addition, please note this is not a flexible ISA – so if you withdraw funds you are unable to reinvest in the same tax year unless you have spare ISA allowance.

Stock and shares ISA

Due to the nature of the investments the value of the stocks and shares ISA cannot be guaranteed. The value can go up and down and you may get back less than you paid in. The stocks and shares ISA is subject to annual management / investment charges.

What happens if I exceed my ISA allowance?

It is your responsibility to ensure that the payments being made do not exceed your ISA allowance for the tax year. The allowance is £20,000. If you think you are going to exceed your ISA allowance, please ensure you adjust, or cease, your contributions via the SAP flexible benefits portal by clicking here.

If you think you have exceeded your ISA allowance for the current tax year, you may wish to contact the HMRC ISA Helpline on 0300 200 3312 for guidance on what action to take.

It is important to remember that all ISA providers are required to submit statutory reports to HMRC every year.

Where are my cash ISA savings held?

All savings in the cash ISA are currently deposited with Cater Allen Private Bank who are part of Santander UK Plc. The registered office address is 2 Triton Square, Regent’s Place, London NW1 3AN. Cater Allen Private Bank is the name used for banking services provided by Cater Allen Limited.

All deposits are held in accounts in the name of Aviva Investment Solutions Limited.

Charges
Charges

Details about the charges for the stocks and shares ISA can be found on here on from page 5 onwards.

Can I change my regular contributions to this ISA during the year?

You will be able to make a change to the contribution one month after the original submission. To do so you need to have set up the ISA via Aviva My Money portal. You’ll then need to log on to the SAP flexible benefits system and make a change to the ISA contribution. This can change from 3% to 20% of gross pay deducted from net.

Can I make additional personal payments into my ISA at any time?

Yes. You’ll have full access to your ISA account, and will be able to make additional personal payments at any time subject to the annual limits.

You can make additional payments by:

  • increasing your regular monthly deduction from payroll (please log in by clicking here to select a different contribution level)
  • making a single lump sum payment with payment direct to Aviva by BACs/CHAPs

If you receive a mid-year salary change or a promotion your contribution will increase in line with this.

Can I open an account for my partner/spouse/child?

No. SAP does not currently offer this option.

Can I transfer an existing ISA into the Aviva ISA?

Yes. You can transfer in existing ISAs into your Aviva Workplace ISA. A previous tax year ISA can be transferred in part or in full. ISAs from the current tax year must be fully transferred.

Transfers in from previous years' ISA accounts do not count towards the current £20,000 annual limit. There is no charge for doing this although there is a minimum transfer value that Aviva will accept. For the current tax year this minimum is £50 and for previous tax years the minimum is £250. If you are transferring both the minimum is £50.

Details are in the Key Features of the Stocks and Shares ISA.

How are the ISA 'Savings Choices' contributions calculated?

You can invest between 3% and 20% of your gross basic salary into the ISAs. This will be deducted from your net pay via SAP payroll and paid by SAP direct into your ISA account with Aviva. You will need to contribute 3%, or more, to the ISA, or Student Loan, option to receive the 9% SAP pension contribution.

How do I access my ISA? Is there any online support available?

You can keep track of your transactions and current balance in your ISAs by logging into My Money. You will also receive an annual paper statement.

Aviva have a My Money help desk for enquiries about My Money or your setting up your My Money account please call: 0345 604 9915. Lines are open weekdays 8.00am to 5.30pm.

Alternatively email Aviva My Money at mymoney@aviva.com

If you ask for a password reset/notification then Aviva will send you an email from mymoneynoreply@aviva.com

If you are waiting for your ISA log in details it will come from do-not-reply@aviva.com

What happens if I get mid-year salary change or promotion?

The amount you pay into your Aviva Workplace Cash ISA via the SAP payroll will change if you receive a mid-year salary change or a promotion.

Leaving
What happens if I leave SAP?

If you leave SAP UK, SAP will stop making payments to Aviva via the SAP payroll. As it is your personal arrangement, you will still be able to make regular contributions on a personal basis. Any personal direct debits you have set up will continue to be collected from your bank account until you tell Aviva to change them.

Alternatively you can set up a personal ISA (stocks and shares or cash) with another ISA provider and transfer the savings to them, or withdraw the accumulated cash sum.

What happens to my ISA if I move abroad?

If you open an ISA in the UK and then move abroad, you cannot continue to make payments after you move (unless you are a Crown employee working overseas or their spouse or civil partner).

However, you can keep your ISA open, have interest applied to your account and not be liable for UK tax on the interest. You can pay into your ISA again if you return and become a UK resident.

Are my savings covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme?

The rules differ between cash and stocks and shares ISA. Your cash ISA deposits are held by Cater Allen Private Bank who are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The FSCS can pay compensation to depositors if a bank is unable to meet its financial obligations. An eligible depositor is entitled to claim up to £85,000; this limit includes all other accounts and deposits they may hold with Cater Allen. All claims have to be assessed by the FSCS to determine the amounts covered and the claimant’s eligibility.

For further information see www.fscs.org.uk or call the FSCS on 0800 678 1100 or +44 207 741 4100. Cater Allen’s FCA register number is 178737.

Stocks and shares - please see page 10 in the Key Features of the Stocks and Shares guide.

Please be aware neither Capita nor SAP are financial advisers and are not giving you financial advice with regard to the ISA.

Can I use some or all of my Workplace ISA savings towards repaying my Student Loan?

Yes you can, and you may find it gives you more flexibility than the SAP ‘Savings Choices’ Student Loan repayment option, as these must be paid in addition to your compulsory repayments.

If you are close to repaying your Student Loan you must be sure you do not over repay – see FAQs on Student Loan for more information. Withdrawing accumulated savings from a cash ISA to repay some or all of your Student Loan may give you more control as to when and how much you pay to the Student Loan Company (SLC).

Does SAP Corporate ISA offer a Lifetime ISA?

Aviva do not currently offer a corporate LISA. Along with many Corporate ISA providers they do not currently see much demand.

You can find more information about ISA changes, including the introduction of LISA at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lifetime-isa-explained

Money Advice Service

For advice about pensions and retirement, go to the Government’s free and impartial Money Advice Service at www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/categories/pensions-and-retirement

What happens to my savings if I die?

The rules for ISAs changed in April 2015. They now allow for the transfer of an extra ISA allowance to the deceased’s spouse if they died on or after 3 December 2014. If applicable, the surviving spouse can use an additional one-off allowance, which is equal to the value of their partner’s ISA savings, as well as enjoying their own usual yearly allowance. An additional permitted subscription (APS) can be used in certain situations.

You qualify for the additional allowance whether or not you inherit the actual assets of the ISA. No actual funds are transferred, and the extra allowance can be made up from your own assets. Also, as well as being married or in a registered civil partnership with the ISA holder, you need to have been living together – if you were separated under a court order, by Deed of Separation, or due to any other situation that was likely to become permanent, you cannot use the additional allowance.

If the above does not apply, the value of your ISA will be distributed according to the terms of your will or intestacy rules. In this instance, interest in the cash ISA will continue to accrue and the value of units in the Stocks and Shares ISA will continue to fluctuate according to market conditions between the date of death and the date Aviva makes the payment. As the ISA will have lost its tax benefits on death, Aviva will inform your personal representatives of the interest/value of the difference in the stocks and shares ISA in this period so they can pay any income tax liability due.

Guides
What other savings options are available on the My Money platform?

In addition to the cash and stocks and shares ISAs there is an investment account. This provides an additional medium to long term saving opportunity and will particularly appeal if you have already used up your ISA allowance in the current tax year. You are able to invest in funds, shares and other investments just like the stocks and shares ISA; however, the investment account does not have any tax benefits.

The investment account can only be set up via a direct debit from your own bank account by logging in to the My Money portal - www.avivamymoney.co.uk once you have been sent your registration information.

Due to the nature of the investments the value of both the stocks and shares ISA and the investment account cannot be guaranteed. The value could go up and down and you may get back less than you paid in.

Both the stocks and shares ISA and the investment account are subject to annual management / investment charges. You can find further details in the fees and charges brochure listed below.

AVIVA's policy guides

Further details on both these products can be found in the following documents:

Tailored literature items

Introducing My Money - https://library.aviva.com/ngs610a.pdf
Stocks & Shares ISA fees & charges brochure - https://library.aviva.com/ngs610c.pdf
Investment Account fees & charges brochure - https://library.aviva.com/ngs610d.pdf

Standard literature items

Cash ISA
Cash ISA Key Features Document - https://library.aviva.com/ngs200e.pdf
Cash ISA Terms & Conditions - https://library.aviva.com/ngs200d.pdf
Cash ISA product guide - https://library.aviva.com/ngs200f.pdf

Stocks & Shares ISA
Stocks & Shares ISA Key Features Document - https://library.aviva.com/ngs250k.pdf
Stocks & Shares ISA Terms & Conditions - https://library.aviva.com/ngs250e.pdf
Stocks & Shares ISA product guide - https://library.aviva.com/ngs250j.pdf

Investment Account
Investment Account Key Features Document - https://library.aviva.com/ngs300t.pdf
Investment Account Terms & Conditions - https://library.aviva.com/ngs300e.pdf
Investment Account product guide - https://library.aviva.com/ngs300u.pdf