FAQs
You may have questions about how Auto Enrolment will work, and your employees are bound to have them too. The Auto Enrolment Company is happy to answer your question via email, but some common questions are listed here.
Q: What is Auto Enrolment?
A: Automatic Enrolment is a Government initiative to help more people save for later life through a pension scheme at work. In the past many workers missed out on valuable pension benefits because their employer didn’t offer them a pension, or they didn’t apply to join their company’s pension scheme.
Q: What is my staging date and what exactly does it mean?
A: Your staging date is the first time you must comply with legislative requirements. This is based on the PAYE size of your company as at April 2012 and can’t be changed.
Q: What is postponement?
Postponement allows the additional flexibility for an employer to postpone Automatic Enrolment for a period of up to 90 days to enable employers to align payroll runs, deal with earnings spikes and help cope with high staff turnover.
You can also postpone new employees for up to 90 days as well as one off’s for staff who have a pay spike during the year.
Q: How much will the contributions cost my company?
A: The Auto Enrolment Company can help you calculate the contributions you will need to pay. There are four different basis on which the contributions rates can be made. Contribution amounts are also phased in and so there will be increases in 2018 and 2019.
As part of our report we will show the potential costs based on the different contributions rates.
Q: When will do companies need to start preparing for Auto Enrolment?
A: Ideally, you should allow up to 12 months to prepare. Remember, automatic enrolment is your legal duty and if you don’t act you could be fined.
Q: What happens if my company does not comply with Auto Enrolment?
A: Your company will be deemed to be acting unlawfully and set fines will be issued by the Pensions Regulator. The penalty has a daily rate of up to £10,000 depending upon the size of your business.
Q: My company already offers a workplace pension. Do I still need to comply with Auto Enrolment?
A: Unless every worker – including temporary staff – is a member of that scheme then you will almost certainly have to undertake some work and they will need to pay at least the minimum contribution rate. Your current scheme may be sufficient if it meets certain qualifying criteria, but you need to check this with your provider.
You will still need to undertake a communication exercise and will have additional payroll and reporting requirements to factor in.
Q: Is everyone being enrolled into a workplace pension?
A: By law every employer has to enrol into a workplace pension, workers who:
- are not already in a qualifying workplace pension scheme;
- are aged 22 or over;
- are under State Pension age;
- earn more than a minimum amount (£10,000 a year, £833 a month, £192 a week in 2015-16); and
- work or usually work in the UK.
Q: I meet the criteria when will I be enrolled?
A: If you meet the criteria above , the timing of when your employer will enrol you into a workplace pension depends on their size. Your employer will give you the exact date nearer the time.
Q: What if I don’t meet the criteria to be enrolled?
A: If you don’t meet the criteria above when your employer starts enrolling workers, you will not be automatically enrolled into a workplace pension. However, you may be able to join the pension scheme if you want, if you’re not already a member. Your employer will let you know (so long as you’re 16 or over, and under 75).
If you meet the criteria at a later date, for example you turn 22 or you start to earn more, and you are not already a member, then your employer will automatically enrol you.
Q: Why is this happening?
A: The aim is to help more people have another income, on top of the State Pension, when they retire.
The State Pension is a foundation for your retirement. If you want to have more, you need to save during your working life. Otherwise, you may reach retirement facing a significant fall in your standard of living. The current state pension consists of:
- basic State Pension (a maximum of £115.95 a week in 2015 – 16); and
- additional State Pension (also known as SERPS or State Second Pension, which can be worth anywhere between 1p and around £160 a week on top of your basic State Pension).
The government is getting employers to enrol their workers automatically into a pension at work so it is easier for people to start saving.
You can opt out if you want to, but if you stay in you will have your own workplace pension which you get when you retire.
Q: Who will pay into the pension?
A: You will pay into it. Your employer will pay into it too. They have to do this if you earn more than a certain amount (£5,824 a year, £486 a month, £112 a week in 2016-17). Plus most people will get a contribution from the government in the form of tax relief. This means some of your money that would have gone to the government as tax, goes into your pension instead.
Q: How much will I get from my workplace pension when I retire?
A: It’s possible to get an idea of how much you will get from your workplace pension by getting a ‘pension estimate’ (also sometimes known as a ‘pension projection’). You can get this from whoever runs your pension scheme.
They may also have an online calculator that can help you work out the income you may get when you retire.
Q: Will it be enough?
A: Being in a workplace pension means you’ve taken an important step towards giving yourself the lifestyle you would like in later life. You may want to start thinking about the things you will need money for in retirement such as paying bills, transport and buying food, and the things you may also want to do such as:
- run a car
- meet friends for lunch or drinks
- buy gifts for your family or friends
- go on days out/ holidays
- do sport or other leisure activities.
Once you have an estimate of how much you can expect to get from your workplace pension you can think about whether it will be enough.
If you’re concerned you will not have enough, you could think about contributing more to your pension, working longer, and/or saving in other ways. You can find out more about your options at: www.gov.uk/plan-retirement-income.
Q: What if I work for more than one employer? Will I be enrolled into each of my employer’s pension schemes?
A: If you meet the eligibility criteria with each employment, you will be automatically enrolled into a workplace pension by each of your employers. So you could end up being in two (or more) different workplace pensions, one for each employer.
However, if you work for more than one employer who uses the pension provider NEST for their workplace pension scheme, you will have only one NEST pension pot. Contributions from each employer will go into the same pot for you.
If you earn less than £10,000 a year (£833 a month, £192 a week) with an employer you won’t be automatically enrolled into their pension.
Q: What if I move jobs?
A: You may be automatically enrolled into a new workplace pension. This will depend on the size of your new employer, when you move, and if you meet the criteria listed in question one. Large and medium sized businesses have already started automatically enrolling their workers and all firms will come on board by 2018.
If your new employer has a workplace pension but they don’t automatically enrol you, they may give you the option of joining if you want.
If your new employer doesn’t automatically enrol you, this will be because of one or both of the following reasons:
- they are not yet required to do so; or
- you don’t meet the criteria
If you start a new pension (either ‘workplace’ or ‘personal’), you may be able to combine your old pension with your new one. Your new pension scheme provider will be able to tell you if this is possible and, if so, how to go about doing it.
Or if you want to, you might be able to continue making contributions to your old pension scheme after you’ve left your job. You would need to contact whoever runs your pension scheme to find out if this is possible, if there will be a cost involved and if you will get tax relief.
If you can’t or don’t want to do either of these options, then what happens to your pension depends on the scheme rules. Check with whoever runs your pension scheme.
Nowadays lots of people move jobs several times in their working lives, so it’s important to keep track of the pensions you have. Keeping your statements will help you do this. If you have lost track of a pension, the government’s Pension Tracing Service could help provide you with the contact details for that pension.
Website: www.gov.uk/find-lost-pension
Q: What if I leave my job to become self-employed or stop working?
A: You should think about what income you’ll have to live on in later life. Your employer will stop paying into your workplace pension, but you might be able to continue contributing, if you want. You would need to contact whoever runs your pension scheme to find out if this is possible and if there will be a cost involved.
Alternatively, you might want to set up your own personal pension, or put other plans in place to give you an income when you retire.
Q: What happens to my pension if I die before retiring?
A: The rules vary depending on the type of scheme. Find out from whoever runs your pension whether you can nominate (choose) someone to receive the money if you die and how much they would get.
If you can nominate someone, whoever runs your pension should ask you to confirm in writing who that person is when you first join the pension.
If they don’t do this, you should ask them for a nomination form. You can change your nomination at any time. It’s important to review it if your circumstances change.
Please note: although in most cases the money will go to whoever is nominated, organisations who run pension schemes are allowed to pay it to someone else if this is needed. For example, if the person nominated cannot be found or has died.
Q: Can I take the money out?
A: Currently, most people can’t take money from any pension scheme until they are aged at least 55. The exact age you get your pension depends on the rules of the scheme. To find out, check with whoever runs your pension scheme.
Q: I’m paying into a personal pension already, what should I do?
A: It’s possible to have both a workplace pension and your own personal pension, so you could choose to continue paying into both. Or you might choose to continue with just one of them. It depends on your circumstances – for example, what you can afford and what your personal and workplace pension schemes are offering.
With your workplace pension, you will receive a contribution from your employer that you won’t get with your own personal pension. However, your own personal pension may have a guarantee about future income.
If you’re considering this question, The Pensions Advisory Service might be a good place to start. The Pensions Advisory Service is an independent voluntary organisation which provides free information about pensions:
Website: www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk
Q: I had a workplace pension in a previous job, what should I do about that?
A: You could leave it where it is. You will get it when you retire, so long as you were in the pension scheme long enough. The length of time needed will be in the pension scheme rules. Or you might be able to combine it with your new workplace pension. If you’re considering doing this, you need to check with your current pension provider that it’s possible and, if it is, how to go about doing it.
If you need help with your pension options, The Pensions Advisory Service might be a good starting point.
Website: www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk
If you have lost track of a pension, the government’s Pension Tracing Service could help provide you with the contact details for that pension.
Website: www.gov.uk/find-lost-pension
Q: What if I’m not sure it’s for me? What if I can’t afford it?
A: For many people, paying into a workplace pension scheme is a good idea – even if they have other financial commitments, such as a mortgage or a loan. This is because you’re not the only one putting money in. Your employer has to contribute too, provided you earn more than a certain amount (£5,824 a year, £486 a month, £112 a week in 2015-16).
Most people will also get a contribution from the government in the form of tax relief. This means some of your money that would have gone to the government as tax, goes into your pension instead.
Over time, this money adds up and can grow.
But you should make sure you can afford to meet your other commitments. If you’re behind on your mortgage, rent, credit card or other debt payments then a pension might not be the right step at the moment. It’s something you should come back to at a later date, once your debts are more under control.
If you start saving into a workplace pension but then a few months or years later you want to stop paying, you can do so. You might want to check with whoever runs your pension scheme what happens when you stop paying, and how to rejoin.
You can start paying into your employer’s scheme again at a later date, if you decide you want to. Your employer has to accept you into their pension scheme once in every twelve month period. This means if you leave, join, then leave again within twelve months your employer does not have to accept you a second time. But they can choose to do so.
If you opt out or you stop making payments, your employer will automatically enrol you back into their pension at a later date. This is usually every three years. This is because your circumstances may have changed and it may be the right time for you to start saving. Your employer will contact you and you can choose to stay in the workplace pension or opt out.
If you’re struggling with debts and would like advice on how to manage your money, you might find the Money Advice Service a good starting point.
Website: www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk