Auto Enrolment Scheme Details
Enables you to specify additional scheme parameters relevant to the auto enrolment scheme.
Scheme
Scheme
Display only. The ID and description of the selected scheme.
Er's Ref.No
Enter the employer's reference number for this auto enrolment scheme.
Due Day: Absolute / Relative
Enter the payment due date. You can either enter an absolute date in the first field, or you can enter the number of days from the period end date in the second field.
Deferral & Postponement Periods
Staging Date
Enter the postponement period as a number of tax weeks and months from the staging date, after which the initial assessment for auto enrolment will take place for all employees. Enter 0 for immediate assessment.
New Starter
Enter the postponement period as a number of tax weeks and months from the employee's start date, after which the assessment for auto enrolment will take place for new starters.
QPS Member
Enter the postponement period as a number of tax weeks and months from the staging date / employee's start date, after which the initial assessment for auto enrolment will take place for employees who are a member of a QPS.
Opt In
Enter the postponement period as a number of tax weeks and months from the date an employee chooses to opt in, after which the assessment for auto enrolment will take place for employees who have chosen to opt in.
Aged [Eligible Age]
Enter the postponement period as a number of tax weeks and months from the date an employee reaches the eligible age, after which the assessment for auto enrolment will take place for newly eligible employees.
Eligible Jobholder Postponement
Enter the postponement period as a number of tax weeks and months from the date an employee has been assessed and is eligible for auto enrolment, after which a reassessment for auto enrolment will take place for affected employees.
Withhold Payments
Weekly, Monthly
Enter the number of weekly and monthly pay periods over which the employer can withhold contributions from the pension provider for newly enrolled employees.
Opt In Weekly, Opt In Monthly
Enter the number of weekly and monthly pay periods over which the employer can withhold contributions from the pension provider for newly opted in employees.
General
Fixed Term Contract (Months)
Enter the length of fixed term contract in months (up to a maximum of three months) that should be ignored for auto enrolment purposes. If a new starter has a fixed term contract of this length or shorter, they are excluded from the initial assessment.
Opt Out Extension (Weeks)
Enter the number of weeks after an employee opts out, during which they can receive a full refund of their contributions.
Bypass Bulk Opt Out CSV Val'n
Select this check box to prevent opt out dates being validated against the permitted opt out period when importing opt out details via Load AES Opt Out Details from Spreadsheet. This setting may be useful if your pension provider manages opt outs on your behalf. Employees are still set to receive a refund if the opt out date is within the opt out period even if this check box is selected.
Earnings Method
Enter one of the following values to indicate the method to use when determining an employee’s pensionable earnings when reporting to NEST:
- Qualifying earnings - uses the amount between the lower and upper earnings thresholds. This is the default method.
- Total pensionable earnings - uses the full pensionable earnings.
- Pensionable earnings above the lower threshold - uses the pensionable earnings above the lower earnings threshold.
- Pensionable earnings up to the upper threshold - uses the pensionable earnings up to the upper earnings threshold.
Contractual Scheme
Select this check box to enrol employees when they reach their deferral period, no matter what their earnings are. This check box should be selected if the auto enrolment scheme is also the employer's contractual scheme.
Method
Enter 1 or 2 to specify the method to use to determine the assessment date and postponement period. The methods are as follows:
- Method 1 (default) - the system locates the staging / new starter date in the tax calendar and counts forward for the number of postponement periods to determine the initial assessment date and period. That is, if the postponement period is 13 weeks, the system counts forward 6 periods for fortnightly payrolls, 3 periods for lunar payrolls etc.
- Method 2 - the system adds the number of months or weeks to the staging / new starter date to determine the assessment date and then locates this date within the tax calendar and uses the located period start date as the initial assessment date.
Note: Both methods adjust the assessment period accordingly if the period is paid in arrears, that is, the pay date is after the period end date.
Use PAPDIS
Select this check box to use the PAPDIS interface for this auto enrolment scheme. PAPDIS is a Payroll and Pensions Data Interface Standard which transfers auto enrolment scheme (AES) data to pension providers.
CARD Method
Enter 1, 2 or 3 to specify the method to use to determine the part period contribution. The methods are as follows:
- Method 1 (default) - Full period contributions. The system uses the full contributions on the gross for the whole period.
- Method 2 - None. No contributions in the first non-whole period. Contributions will only be taken in the second period.
- Method 3 - Part period contributions.
We recommend using method 3 as default.
CARD Incl
Select this check box to include any employees who have opted out or ceased membership within the previous 12 months when determining which employees are to be considered for CARD re-enrolment.
AVC PE Cat
Enter the additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) pay element to be used to identify NEST AVC pay elements.
Staging/CARD
Display only. A history of staging dates. Click WINDOW to display CARD Parameters, where you can view details of all the staging dates for control groups associated with the selected scheme.
Buttons
Alternate Schemes
Click this button to display Alternate Scheme Details, where you can define alternative pension schemes for opted in employees who are non-eligible job holders (they have reached the lower earnings threshold) or entitled workers (their earnings are below the lower earnings limit).
Letters/Emails
Click this button to display Scheme Letters and Email Messages, where you can specify an effective date and then maintain the auto enrolment standard letters and emails specific to this scheme for that date.
MD25G23