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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

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