Nearly half of charities have still not yet considered their strategy for the 2012 pension reform, according to research by Acevo and Foster Denovo.

This figure of 47 per cent represents only a marginal improvement on last year’s 51 per cent, and among charities with 1-9 employees, only 35 per cent had assessed their approach.

Almost a quarter of the survey’s 349 respondents were unaware of what the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) pension scheme is.

Furthermore, over half of charities with 500 or more staff do not currently have a pension scheme. The survey authors estimate that the 2012 change would cost a charity with 500 employees £300,000 a year each.

Ian Bird, principal partner at Foster Denovo, said: “In October 2010, the coalition government confirmed its commitment to NEST. Yet I find it worrying that only just over half of all charities have considered their strategy around the pension reform.

“If your organisation hasn’t already begun planning, then I’d urge you to start the process now, which should include consideration of the potential cost implications.

“Reviewing the quality and suitability of an existing scheme and implementing a new one isn’t something that will happen overnight.”