Automatic Enrolment for pensions

Automatic enrolment is a mandatory work based pension scheme which is being introduced across the UK. Started in 2012 for large companies, the staging process will be completed by February 2018 with medium employers starting April 2014 and small employers starting from June 2015. 

The responsibility for automatic enrolment lies with the employer, not with the employee. As well as having a pension scheme compliant with automatic enrolment, the employer is expected to enrol all eligible job holders, regularly communicate with workers to provide all information of their automatic enrolment status, allow non eligible opt-in and entitled workers to join, manage opt-outs and provide refunds, re-enrol all workers every three years and declare themselves compliant with The Pensions Regulator. 

The automatic enrolment scheme has been introduced using a staged process depending on an employers PAYE scheme. An employers duty applies from that date. Every employer should have received a letter from The Pensions Regulator informing them of their staging date. Your staging date can be found on The Pensions Regulator's website.