Advisers can also help their clients with how tax relief is applied to staff pension contributions. Many pension schemes only support one tax relief mechanism, but advisers should understand which system they use and which is likely to best meet their clients’ requirements. More information on tax relief can be found here .
Payroll software
If your client uses payroll software they should ask the payroll provider whether it will work with the pension scheme they would like to use. Your client also needs to check that the software can carry out all the automatic enrolment tasks. If it can't, they should consider updating their payroll software or speaking to the pension provider to see which tasks they can carry out.
Automatic enrolment solutions
Some advisers offer a solution that links to one or more specific pension schemes, for example the payroll software may be set up to link with a specific scheme. In this instance, advisers should make their clients aware that there may be other pension schemes available that could be more appropriate for their staff.
Writing to an employer’s staff
Employers have a duty to write to their staff about their automatic enrolment rights. Advisers who do this on behalf of their clients should make sure they don’t inadvertently provide investment advice. The Pensions Regulator has developed letter templates to help with this task.
More information on how to choose a pension scheme is available on The Regulator’s website.
Automatic enrolment: New interactive journey launched for small and micro employers 21 October 2015
The Pensions Regulator has acted to help reduce the challenge of automatic enrolment for small and micro employers with a new interactive step by step website guide.
The new online journey includes the following:
A duties checker : To help employers understand which duties apply to them, there are interactive questions which allow an employer to quickly establish if they will need to put any staff into a pension scheme. A step by step guide for those who do not employ staff eligible for automatic enrolment, including how to provide a pension scheme for employees who still ask to join one. It provides a streamlined journey for those with domestic workers and those who employ a personal care assistant. Videos, animation and infographics all helping employers understand what automatic enrolment is and what they need to consider when choosing a pension scheme. The Pensions Regulator is urging all employers to use the duties checker on its website to find out which legal duties apply to them. Employers will receive customised communications relevant to their situation after using the duties checker to tell the regulator about their circumstances. Those people who employ personal care assistants can identify themselves through this route or by phone. As well as updates to the website, the regulator’s supporting publications and letters, and the emails they send to employers have been redesigned. They have all been simplified to meet the needs of different small and micro employers; for example those who have automatic enrolment duties but have no staff, now have specific letters suitable for their situation.
New automatic enrolment advertising campaign launched 22 October 2015
A new national advertising campaign called ‘Don’t ignore the workplace pension’ has been launched to raise awareness of automatic enrolment among small and micro employers, business advisers and employees.
A new character has been introduced to our television screens with the launch of a campaign which aims to change the country’s perception of pensions in the workplace. The big, colourful ‘workie’ character will be seen visiting people in all sorts of work environments over the coming months, asking them not to ignore him.
CIPP Policy News Journal
25/04/2016, Page 332 of 453
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