Further duties in terms of timescales and how automatic enrolment is managed will also apply to all employers, these are listed below and will take effect from your Staging Date. For more information, please visit Automatic Enrolment FAQs for Employers.
Under Automatic Enrolment, employers that have reached their staging date must:
- Provide workers with information about the duties
- Automatically enrol eligible jobholders that meet the age and earnings threshold
- If requested, allow entitled workers to join a pensions savings scheme
- Make contributions on worker’s behalf
- Monitor their workforce to identify when workers meet the age and earnings thresholds to become ‘eligible jobholders’
- Provide information to workers and carry out administration within strict timescales
- Provide information to the selected pension scheme within strict timescales
- Register with the Pensions Regulator (The Pension Scheme Registry Number (PSR) for the LGPS (NI) is 10123043). The EPSR is not needed for the Declaration of Compliance.
- Manage opt outs and opt ins
Under Automatic Enrolment, the workforce is split into several different types of worker. As an employer, you must assess your workforce based on their age and earnings thresholds to identify the category that each employee falls into, as this will determine your Automatic Enrolment duties in relation to each employee. Visit the Pensions Regulator* website for guidance on assessing your workforce.
The table below shows the thresholds that will be applicable until April 2021.
| Thresholds | Current amounts for 2021-22
Effective from 6 April 2021 |
Amounts for 2020-21 Effective from 6 April 2020 |
| Lower level of qualifying earnings | £6,240 | £6,240 |
| Earnings trigger for automatic enrolment | £10,000 | £10,000 |
| Upper level of qualifying earnings | £50,270 | £50,000 |
The Pensions Regulator* provides detailed guidance for employers about automatic enrolment*.
*NILGOSC cannot be held responsible for information held on external websites via the above links.
