Automatic enrolment - The basics

How automatic enrolment will affect you as an employer, and how Sage Payroll will support you with this.

Automatic enrolment is a government initiative regulated by The Pensions Regulator (TPR). It exists to help people save for their retirement through a pension scheme at work.

In the UK, employers must enrol certain staff into a workplace pension scheme. The employer must also contribute towards it.

When will automatic enrolment affect me?

Automatic enrolment law is already in force for all employers and new businesses.

If you’re a new business, you can find out how to set up Auto Enrolment by visiting TPR at thepensionsregulator.gov.

There are some exceptions to this. To check, read My company is exempt from Automatic Enrolment.

Does Sage Payroll support automatic enrolment?

Yes. You can prepare for automatic enrolment in Payroll.

This includes:

• Assessing your workforce
• Communicating the upcoming changes with TPR
• Nominating a pensions contact with The Pensions Regulator

You can also set up a qualifying pension scheme to ensure you:

• Meet the automatic enrolment requirements
• Enter or postpone your staging date
• Assess your employees for automatic enrolment

Does my current workplace pension scheme qualify for automatic enrolment?

If you don’t already have a workplace pension scheme, you’ll need a scheme that meets TPR’s qualifying criteria. TPR has lots of useful information to help you find a provider and choose a pension scheme. For more information, visit thepensionregulator.gov.

If you already have a pension scheme, it needs to be suitable for automatic enrolment. Check with your pension provider.