Pension scheme re-enrolment: using payroll assessment

Using the payroll assessment system

With the payroll assessment system you manage your assessments, issuing statutory communications and keeping records within your organisation.

For re-enrolment you'll use your own payroll records to decide who should be re-enrolled. You'll tell us who we've to issue re-enrolment communications to through your auto enrolment dashboard.

Step one: choose a date

You need to choose one suitable re-enrolment date that will apply to all eligible jobholders; you can’t choose different dates for different categories of employee, for example weekly and monthly paid employees.

As you’re using our payroll assessment system, then you should think about the impact your re-enrolment date will have on your business processes. You’ll need to agree the most suitable date with your payroll provider. 

How to select your re-enrolment date online using the payroll assessment system

Once your re-enrolment window is open, click on the cyclical re-enrolment tab on the right-hand side of the navigation panel on your dashboard and enter the re-enrolment date you’ve selected and hit save.

Step two: update and review employees' data

You need to make sure your employee data is up to date so that you know who to re-enrol. It’s a good idea to check you have the right contact details for your employees. You should also check that you're not including anyone who has left your employment.

• If you need a reminder of how to update your data watch our auto enrolment dashboard videos.
• Once your data is up to date you then need to review them to make sure they should be included in your assessment.
• As you’re using our payroll assessment system, you’ll use your own payroll data to collate a list of employees that should be assessed for re-enrolment.

Reviewing your employees using the payroll

assessment system

You’ll need to review your employees on your payroll system and compile a list of employees that need to be assessed. For a reminder of who should be selected for re-enrolment visit our guide Re-enrolment: what you need to know.

You’ll then need to assess these employees on their age and earnings as at your chosen re-enrolment date.

Step three: assessment and communication as part of re-enrolment duties

At the re-enrolment date, you’ll need to check which employees are eligible for re-enrolment. This means that any employees you’ve not excluded need to be assessed for age and earnings and if they're eligible they should be re-enrolled.

You then have a duty to communicate with the employees affected by re-enrolment. You’ll need to send them statutory communications telling them that they’ll be re-enrolled, what this means for them and that they can choose to opt out.

As you’re using our payroll assessment system, you’ll assess your employees using your own payroll system then you’ll need to re-enrol existing employees or add new employees to your dashboard to generate their communications.

Assessing and communicating employees re-enrolment using the payroll assessment system

Once you’ve reviewed your payroll system and compiled a list of employees that need to be assessed you’ll assess your employees using your own payroll systems.

This will give you a list of employees that will need to be re-enrolled, they’ll either already be on your dashboard because they had previously opted out or stopped paying in and need to be re-enrolled or they will need to be added to your dashboard because they never made a first contribution.

You can get a reminder of how to add employees' for payroll assessment schemes on our auto enrolment dashboard videos.

• You can add multiple employees using the import file option on your workforce tab and include the 'enrolment type' as cyclical and add your re-enrolment date for that employee.
• The enrolment date must be your re-enrolment date and it must be the same for all employees who are being re-enrolled. If you enter a different date for any employee being re-enrolled, the file will be rejected.

You can also manually add a employee by selecting cyclical re-enrolment as the enrolment type when adding their information.

To re-enrol employees who have previously opted out or stopped contributing, select their name and cyclical re-enrolment on the dashboard.

Their previous pension plan will be reinstated, and you’ll see a confirmation screen.

Step four: re-declare compliance

As part of your re-enrolment duties, a re-declaration of compliance must be submitted to The Pensions Regulator every 3 years. This applies from the auto enrolment start date or the last re-enrolment date.

• You’ll need to do this through The Pensions Regulator website, you may already have log in details.
• You’ll be asked for information about the numbers of employees in your scheme including those you’ve re-enrolled.

What's next

You don’t have to do anything further for your re-enrolment until your next re-enrolment date in three years time.

Your current chosen re-enrolment date will determine the date your next re-enrolment window opens. We’ll get in touch with you shortly before that happens.

As we issue re-enrolment notices on your behalf, it will include information on how your employees can opt out again. Visit our guide Opting employees out for more information.