A letter from the regulator nobody expected
An employer client forwards a letter about a missed re-enrolment declaration. The practice runs their payroll and, the client assumed, handled everything pension-related. The payroll team assumed the client had done the declaration. Nobody had the date in a diary, because it comes round so rarely that no one remembered it.
Meanwhile, every pay run involves uploading contributions to several different pension providers, each with its own website and file format, and one or two uploads sometimes fail without anyone noticing until the provider emails.
Rare duties are the easiest to miss
Per-pay-run tasks become habit. Duties that come round every few years, or once at a client's staging or duties start date, do not. Their dates are set per employer and are different for every client, so there is no single time of year when the whole practice thinks about them.
There is also a split of responsibilities. Some tasks belong to the practice under its engagement, some to the employer, some to the pension provider. If the engagement letter is not specific, or staff do not know what it says, each side assumes the other has it covered.
Payroll software handles assessment and contribution calculation well. The tracking of dates, declarations and uploads across many clients and providers is where the gaps are.
What missed pension duties cost
| Missed duty | Effect |
|---|---|
| Re-enrolment not done | An awkward letter and catch-up work |
| Declaration not submitted | Regulator correspondence the client did not expect |
| Contribution upload failed | Late contributions and provider chasers |
| Staff letters not sent | Employees not told what they should have been |
| Unclear ownership | Client and practice each assume the other did it |
These problems tend to land on the practice even when the duty sat with the client. The client assumed the payroll provider handled it, and the conversation about who should have done what is uncomfortable for everyone.
The duties calendar we build
- Each payroll client's pension details are recorded: provider, duties start date, re-enrolment dates and which tasks the practice handles under your engagement and which the client handles.
- The calendar generates tasks ahead of each duty, with lead times your practice sets, assigned to your payroll staff or sent to the client for their part.
- Per-pay-run contribution uploads are listed per client and provider, and staff mark each as uploaded, with the provider's confirmation attached. Missing confirmations are flagged before the next run.
- Re-enrolment and declaration tasks include the steps your practice follows, so whoever picks up the task knows what to do.
- Client tasks, such as confirming a declaration, are sent with a clear explanation and a way to confirm completion online.
- A practice-wide view shows upcoming duties for all clients over the coming months, and anything overdue.
What the practice does under each engagement, and how duties are carried out, is set by your practice. The calendar makes sure the dates and tasks are not forgotten.
Pension duties with an owner and a date
Every client's pension dates are held in one place. Tasks appear in time for the right person. Upload confirmations are filed. Clients know which parts are theirs. And when a client asks whether their pension duties are up to date, the answer is on the screen.
It also helps with staff changes. When a payroll team member leaves, their knowledge of each client's pension arrangements is on the calendar rather than in their head.
Could this catch your practice out?
- Re-enrolment dates are not in anyone's diary
- It is not clear which duties the client handles
- Contribution uploads are done across several provider sites
- Failed uploads are found when a provider emails
- There is no view of pension duties across all clients