Auto enrolment workplace pensions

[Mouseketeer]

I think I must have already registered with the 'pensions regulator' as I do get letters, but I don't remember doing it so maybe has been done through payroll company, are you being asked for your PAYE ref ? that is on my letters from PR along with a number called a 'letter code'. I'm seriously thinking this is to much trouble and the committee should just pay someone to set it up.

[Rea]

I like your thinking but I'm the committee!

 

Spoke to very nice man at Pension Regulator, shame I didn't know what he was on about!

 

 

[Mouseketeer]

OH Rea ...I spoke to a very nice lady at 'NEST', because it kept telling me the postcode format was wrong ...how many ways can you write a postcode? anyways that end is now set up, now need to do a declaration of compliance form...which needed a gov gateway log in, then messed that up as it didn't want the one I already have, but now have a new one so should be able to do that tomorrow :-)

[Guest]

I've gone with NEST too - my friend uses it for her nurseries and says it has been fine. My staging date is early next year, so must get my head round it all soon. I use Sage Payroll and have added on their module so it should all integrate with no problem.... but knowing my luck, something will go wrong as soon as I use it!

[Fredbear]

Yes Nest for us too. We have decided to use our payroll provider to administer ours with myself as the main contact.

Another lot of reading and ensuring we are compliant to add to the ever growing pile.

[Mouseketeer]

Well I gave up trying to sort the 'declaration of compliance' gateway thingy and phoned again, I have a letter from the pensions regulator telling me I must do 2 things, 1- register with a pension provider (tick) and 2- register my D of C by the 1st November ( date in bold print), the guy on the phone tells me my staging date isn't until Feb'17 ( which I know and so do they as its in the letter) so I can't do it until all staff are enrolled and we've started.....but my letter says..., reply " sorry it's not very well worded is it"? You don't say :-/

[Cait]

I might phone them and try to make some sense of it all with an actual human rather than a piece of paper or computer screen.

[Lyanne]

Thank you Sue, we use devon psla payroll and I believe they will send out the necessary letters to the staff that need them as part of their inclusive package.

 

Undivided attention is hard to find isn't it :-/

 

We use Devon payroll as well & they did send out the letters & do for new staff - we've been doing pensions since Jan this year. We did have to check the letters in case anyone had recently changed hours etc.

[Mouseketeer]

Thanks for info Lyanne, can you remember how long before your staging date letters were sent letters ? I set up with Nest and found out I can't to the DofC yet, I don't think I have to do anything else yet do I ? Did NEST send you anything, I have a couple of ID numbers from the registration. Thanks again :-)

Edited September 29, 2016 by Mouseketeer

[Lyanne]

Thanks for info Lyanne, can you remember how long before your staging date letters were sent letters ? I set up with Nest and found out I can't to the DofC yet, I don't think I have to do anything else yet do I ? Did NEST send you anything, I have a couple of ID numbers from the registration. Thanks again :-)

 

No problem!

 

I think the letters were after October half term last year, so a good couple of months before we needed to start.

 

You'll (or your committee, etc) will need to choose between a pension based on total earnings or qualifying earnings https://thepeoplespension.co.uk/help/knowledgebase/do-i-select-total-earnings-or-qualifying-earnings/ - total earnings will cost the preschool more as the employer contribution is based on total earnings but will actually give your employees a better chance of having a pension that gives them something.

 

We gave the calculations for our current staff to our directors and they made the decision to go for total earnings (which is good as this affects my pension too of course!)

 

We've got some staff who've opted to pay more that their minimum contributions, but that doesn't affect our contributions.

 

Staff will fall into 3 groups - those who earn over £10,000 so are automatically opted in (but can choose to opt out) and the setting makes contributions for them; then 2 groups who are not automatically opted in. The middle one, if they opt in, the setting has to make contributions for them, but the lowest earners, if they opt in, the preschool doesn't make contributions for them.

 

We ran calculations for everyone and then sent Devon Payroll a spreadsheet with all staff on it, colour coded to show which group they fall into, and saying what percentage they wanted their own contributions to be,

 

When you set up everyone on NEST, you need that info (& people's names, dob, home address, NI number etc).

 

Set up a group for each different group you have - we have 'minimum employee & preschool contributions', '5% employee & minimum preschool' etc. So when you have the groups, as you add each staff member, you allocate them to a group.

 

If they change their hours so fall into a different group, or choose to change their contributions so fall into a different group, it's easy to change them after doing the previous months contributions. And NEST are very helpful when you've done it at the wrong time so have to re-set up a staff member... ;-)

[Mouseketeer]

Thank you for taking the time to add all that, I'll save it for future reference :-)

[Cait]

Has anyone got the telephone number of the pension regulator place so I can ring them?

[Mouseketeer]

[url=http://help.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/]

 

If the link doesn't take you to right place, go to contact us, select the top link ( auto enrolement) I think, on the right you can see a 'not found the answer' contact us, number is there, it's well hidden

Edited October 2, 2016 by Mouseketeer

[finleysmaid]

just an additional note ..if you have a staff member who reduces their hours after they are registered they have the right to stay in the pension scheme.

Edited October 2, 2016 by finleysmaid

[Mouseketeer]

Has anyone set up NEST as the manager of a committee run setting that could help me ?

 

I register with NEST as the employer, others have said I should have received something from them, I spoke to a 'chat' person who said I wouldn't as the employer, I then asked if I should have enrolled staff yet (staging date isn't until next Feb), to be told It would be no good closing the window to speak to someone else as I'd get the same answer' :wacko: :angry: they might be fed up with stupid questions but they don't need to be rude !

[lynned55]

Yes. I set it all up at beginning of this year. I'll see if I can check tomorrow when my first communication from them was. I don't think you would be enrolling staff yet.

[Mouseketeer]

Thanks Lynned, I keep getting conflicting information ...it just doesn't feel right to me that we have to do this when we are employed like the rest of the staff and not actually the employer, I see the next problem being when we add ourselves as employees and the 'computer says no' as we in already in the system as the employer when setting it up :-/

Edited November 11, 2016 by Mouseketeer

[lynned55]

The first communication I can find from them is dated Nov 2015 - thanking me for registering (this is as an employer) with Nest and saying to start using it click here (with a link) that only lasts for 28 days. I then got another email in Dec saying that I must complete my sign up details before I can start using it. Our staging date was Feb after this. Is that any help?

Also I havent had a problem with using my name in employers ID and then as an employer. Although it was two different email addresses.

Yes, I must admit it has peeved me somewhat having to do all this and it's just another task to be done each month.

However in the end I warned both - our then committee and staff that I would only do it if we used NEST as I have no financial knowledge at all and didnt want the responsibility of it all.

Its been a bit of a learning curve and I just hope its all being done correctly!

[Mouseketeer]

Thank you, I can't remember if I had an email when I registered, but have EMP and EMPR numbers and log in details, so I may get another email Dec time, it's quite a responsibility, I told my committee if they expected me to sort it all that any time spent on it was going in as overtime.