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Automatic Enrolment
Automatic Enrolment is the core employer duty of workplace pensions reform. It means that employers must automatically place all eligible employees into their pension scheme and advise them that they have done so.
Currently all employees who are eligible under scheme regulations are automatically included in the relevant section of the scheme unless they complete a form to opt out.
From 2012, significant changes were introduced which employers must now, by law, adhere to. The main changes being:
- Automatically enrolling all eligible jobholders in the Scheme within three months of them taking up employment (without the jobholder taking any action); however, eligible jobholders who wish to be included from day one can do so, with employer contributions also being made from day one
- Not asking jobholders whether they wish to join, as happened previously
- Providing new members with information about automatic enrolment and the scheme they have been enrolled into
- Automatically re-enrolling jobholders, who have previously opted out, after three years if they are still working for the same employer
- Exempting jobholders who have opted out within 12 months of the re-enrolment date until the next automatic re-enrolment.
Note: after the introduction of the statutory automatic enrolment provisions, members can still opt out at any time with scheme rules applying to any refunds of contributions.
Any Pension Scheme Reference (PSR) numbers that are relevant to the auto enrolment process can be found in the table below:
PSR | Scheme name | Scheme type | Benefit type | Scheme established | Scheme status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
10005932 | Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme | Occupational | Defined benefit | 1922 | Closed to new members |
10038489 | The National Health Service Superannuation Scheme For Scotland | Occupational | Defined benefit | 1948 | Closed to new members |
10276706 | The National Health Service Pension Scheme (Scotland) 2015 | Occupational | Defined benefit | 2015 | Open to new members |
10276720 | Firefighters' Pension Scheme (Scotland) 2015 | Occupational | Defined benefit | 2015 | Open to new members |
10276721 | Police Pension Scheme (Scotland) 2015 | Occupational | Defined benefit | 2015 | Open to new members |
10276734 | Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme 2015 | Occupational | Defined benefit | 2015 | Open to new members |
12004611 | New Police Pension Scheme | Occupational | Defined benefit | 2006 | Closed to new members |
12013075 | Firefighters Pension Scheme (Scotland) 1992 | Occupational | Defined benefit | 1992 | Closed to new members |
12013076 | New Firefighters Pension Scheme (Scotland) 2006 | Occupational | Defined benefit | 2006 | Closed to new members |
12013077 | Police Pension Scheme (Scotland) 1987 | Occupational | Defined benefit | 1987 | Closed to new members |
More detailed information can be obtained from Department for Work and Pensions and the Pensions Regulator