Re-enrolment
Learn about re-enrolments and what your responsibilities are
Understanding Re-enrolment: Your Responsibilities and How to Complete the Process
Every three years, you are required to assess whether any eligible employees who previously opted out of your pension scheme should be re-enrolled. This is known as re-enrolment.
There are five main steps to follow when re-enrolling employees:
1. Select a Re-enrolment Date
Your first re-enrolment date is three years after your initial staging date. However, you can choose a date three months before or after this period.
On this re-enrolment date, eligible employees must be automatically enrolled back into the pension scheme. You have six weeks from this date to notify these employees about their re-enrolment.
It’s best to align your re-enrolment date with your payroll cycle so it coincides with the start of your pay period. If you handle multiple payrolls, select a date that works for all, as you are only allowed one re-enrolment date.
The next re-enrolment date will be three years after your most recent re-enrolment, with the same flexibility to set it within three months before or after the anniversary.
2. Determine Which Employees to Re-assess
You must re-assess employees who have opted out or ceased membership more than 12 months before the re-enrolment date.
You also have the option to re-assess employees who opted out or left the scheme within 12 months of the re-enrolment date, but this is not mandatory.
Additionally, while not legally required, you may choose to re-assess employees who have resigned or been given notice of dismissal. If these employees remain employed, they must be included in the assessment.
For additional information on who needs to be re-assessed, check out The Pensions Regulator’s website: The Pension Regulator
3. Re-enrol Your Employees
Once you’ve completed the necessary assessments, you can submit your contributions through PAPDIS, which will automatically add eligible employees back to the pension scheme. If you are unsure about this process, it’s advisable to confirm the details with your payroll software provider. Please also see: How to submit your pension contributions using the Papdis file
4. Notify Your Employees About Their Re-enrolment
If we have the email address of the re-enrolled employees, we will send them a confirmation email. Otherwise, we will generate a re-enrolment letter for you to provide.
You must ensure these employees receive the letter within six weeks of the re-enrolment date. Employees will have one month from receiving the re-enrolment letter to opt out if they wish to do so.
5. Inform The Pensions Regulator
You are required to complete a re-declaration of compliance with The Pensions Regulator to confirm you have successfully re-enrolled your employees.
This must be done within five months of the anniversary of your staging date (or duties start date) or your last re-enrolment. If you don’t have any employees to re-enrol, you still need to submit the re-declaration.
For a checklist of what you need to complete the re-declaration, visit The Pensions Regulator’s website: Declaration of Compliance checklist
By following these five steps, you will ensure that you meet your legal obligations for employee re-enrolment into your pension scheme.