Compulsory Pensions - Automatic Enrolment

The Government has just announced some delays to the introduction of compulsory pensions, also known as automatic enrolment. Like the original rules, these categorise employers by size of PAYE payroll as at 1 April 2012.  

The key points are:

• Those with 3000 employees or more will stay on the current timetable.
• Those with 50-2999 employees will be on a new timetable yet to be announced.
• Those with less than 50 employees and those who first become PAYE payroll employers on or after 1 April 2012, will have their start dates delayed until at least May 2015.
• The compulsory employer contributions which start at 1% (of qualifying pay) will be held at that level for much longer than planned, before stepping up to 2% and then 3%.  This could be for an extra two or three years.

Click here for a revised edition of our Briefing Note on implementation, which we have upated to take account of the Government announcement.

David Gallagher, Partner in Fieldfisher’s Employment and Pensions practice.