Auto Enrolment Pensions Update

For those who missed our seminar on auto enrolment, see below some key facts and some contact information to get you started.

  • Know your staging date.  You can log in to www.pensionregulator.gov.uk with your PAYE number to check this.  To give you a quick idea the following staging dates apply:

      1-49 employees          1/8/15 – 1/4/17

      50-249 employees      1/4/14 – 1/4/15

      250+                            1/10/12-1/2/14

  • You will be contacted by the regulator 12 months before your staging date to advise you of this. You will need a minimum of 12 months to set up an auto enrolment scheme so start early.
  • Your pension scheme must be tax registered and must be an occupational or personal pension scheme.
  • All employees aged 22 up to State pension age who earn over £9440 must be automatically enrolled. These are classed as eligible job holders.
  • All employees aged 16-21 or from state pension age up to 74, who earn over £9440 have a right to opt in. Those aged 16-74 who earn above £5,668 but below £9,440 also have that right.  These are classed as non-eligible job holders.
  • All employees aged 16-74 who earn up to £5668 have a right to join (but not to employer contributions.  These are classed as entitled workers.
  • The contributions levels will rise from a minimum of 2% (between employer and employee) up to October 2017 to 8% (between employer and employee) from October 2018.
  • Eligible job holders can opt out but there is an going responsibility on the employer to maintain the enrolment, opt in opt out process. 
  • Record keeping will be a legal requirement and records must be kept for a minimum of 6 years.
  • Options for selecting include tailoring your existing scheme if you have one (although this must be checked for compliance), establish a new scheme or use a master trust scheme such as the government NEST.

NICVA’s sister council NCVO have established an auto enrolment scheme in partnership with Lucas Fettes and Scottish widows.  NICVA is exploring this for the NI voluntary and community sector and would like to hear your views on this.

For further information go to:

www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk

www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/pensions

www.workerspensiontrust.co.uk

 Or email:  

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

 

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