The Pensions Regulator continues spot checks on auto-enrolment

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has begun carrying out spot checks in Glasgow to ensure employers are complying with their automatic enrolment duties.

Inspections have also been carried out in Greater Manchester, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Birmingham.

As part of a nationwide enforcement campaign, which began in London in April, to ensure employers are meeting their automatic enrolment duties correctly, inspection teams will visit businesses to ensure staff are gaining access to the workplace pensions they are entitled to.

The checks will help TPR uncover any challenges employers might be facing, so they can help rectify them. Some businesses may require extra support, for example helping them get their systems in place.

However, these checks will also highlight any employers who have not taken the required steps to become or remain compliant. There may be a need for enforcement, to make sure all companies are complying with the new system. Firms can use TPR’s Duties Checker online to make sure they are fully aware of their responsibilities.

As of the end of April 2017, up to 4,000 employers in Glasgow had met their workplace pensions duties and as a result around 78,000 staff across the city have been automatically enrolled into a pension.

An estimated 2,000 Glasgow employers will see the start of their duties and will need to put eligible staff into a pension scheme between now and the end of 2017.

Darren Ryder, TPR’s Director of Automatic Enrolment, said: “The vast majority of employers become compliant ahead of their deadline but these visits help us to identify why some have not, so we can take action where we need to.

“Every employer has workplace pension duties and we are determined that every worker gets the pension they are entitled to. Automatic enrolment is not an option, it’s the law. Where we find employers are not complying with the law, we will use our powers to make them comply.”

Across the UK, 640,000 employers have met their automatic enrolment duties, with more than eight million workers now saving into a pension as a result.

If you have questions about what automatic enrolment means for you or your business, don’t hesitate to get in touch with TaxAssist Accountants today. Call on 0800 0523 555 or use our online contact form.

Date published 14 Aug 2017 | Last updated 20 Sep 2022