Auto enrolment woes

Struggling with the stupid on-line forms.

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I'm on the Pension Regulator website (https://www.autoenrol.tpr.gov.uk/Workforce), logged in as agent, trying to complete forms for a husband who employs his wife. She does not want to be enrolled into a pension scheme as she is aready receiving a private pension, and her low PAYE earnings mean she does not need to be enrolled.

I've got as far as the 'Declaration' page - 'Staff details'. Now I'm stuck. Here are the questions and answers so far -

How many staff did the employer have on 01 August 2016 (the employer’s staging date) = 1.

On the staging date how many staff were already members of a pension scheme? = 0.

Tick this box if the defined benefit transitional period is being used  = NO.

How many other staff members do not fall into the above categories?  = 0.

Checking the answers I get a message -

Have you forgotten to tell us about some staff? You told us the total number of staff in employment on 01 August 2016 was 1. Is this the correct number?

You have only given details for this number of staff, which does not match the total number of staff that you gave. Please check the information you entered. 

The total is out by: 1.

 

What am I doing wrong? And is there an easier way to register to state that a client's employees do not want to enrol?

 

 

Replies (18)

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By tom123
14th Nov 2016 12:22

How many other staff members do not fall into the above categories? = 0.

Should this in fact be 1?

Thanks (0)
counting
By Counting numbers
14th Nov 2016 12:33

How many other staff members do not fall into the above categories? = 0
What categories does it list here?

Also it is not possible for any employee or employer to say they do not want to enroll employees. It's not an option. So if the employee is eligible? Then they need to be enrolled into a scheme and then they need to opt out (if that's what they want to do).

Thanks (2)
RLI
By lionofludesch
14th Nov 2016 12:51

If she earns less than £10000, which is what you imply, you're completing the wrong form. You need the one where you're not setting up a scheme because there's no one to auto enrol.

If she earns more than £10000, you must auto-enrol her. Then she can opt out.

It's not possible for employers to opt out for employees. Only they can do it.

The forms are very clear. Just read the instructions.

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Replying to lionofludesch:
Euan's picture
By Euan MacLennan
14th Nov 2016 13:16

What form is that, Lion? There are two forms:
- declaration of compliance
- notify exemption

Assuming that the wife earns between the LEL of £5,824 and the threshold of £10,000, she has the right to opt in. If she chooses not to do so, you don't need a pension scheme, but you have nevertheless complied with the requirements if you have sent her the obligatory letter. You must complete the declaration of compliance entering 1 for the 'Number of staff who do not fall in the above categories' (how difficult is 1 minus 0 = 1?) and not notify exemption.

Thanks (0)
Replying to Euan MacLennan:
RLI
By lionofludesch
14th Nov 2016 13:41

Euan MacLennan wrote:

What form is that, Lion? There are two forms:
- declaration of compliance
- notify exemption

It's a bit since I did one with no-one to register, Euan, but if I recall correctly, answering the question "have you got any eligible employees?" with "No", leads you along a different path with what, to my mind, is a different form/page.

Thanks (0)
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By HuntFord
14th Nov 2016 16:08

Assuming the the wife isn't a director, then there isn't a form to fill in pre-staging.
Options are as follows for the various different situations.
1. She isn't a director, but earns under £10k pa - assess her at staging, send her a letter telling her she doesn't earn enough but can join etc., then do declaration of compliance (that's the form you are describing in your post).
2. She isn't a director but earns over 10k pa - Enrol, then opt out if she wants to. Complete declaration of compliance
3. She IS a director. Earnings irrelevant if all are directors - Complete the form at
https://automation.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/notanemployer .

Sounds like you are in option 1. so go back, fill in the form, add her into the last box where you previously had 0. Job's a goodun'

Thanks (3)
Replying to HuntFord:
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By Arcadia
19th Nov 2016 17:30

HuntFord kindly gives us the link to 'not an employer', but there seems to be no option for an agent to complete this, it is only for employers. Is it appropriate to do this on their behalf?

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By ugdiv
14th Nov 2016 23:40

Thanks for the replies everyone. Answering 1 lets me through to the next screen.

It's still a puzzle to me.
Item (4) mentions categories. Which items are categories in the following (simplified) list?

(1). How many staff?
(2). How many staff in schemes?
(3). Defined benefits?
(4). How many staff not in the above categories?

Thanks (3)
Replying to ugdiv:
RLI
By lionofludesch
15th Nov 2016 07:20

1001

What's complicated ?

Thanks (0)
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By ugdiv
15th Nov 2016 09:16

I may be over-thinking this one. Logic went something like this (assuming (3) is not a category) and we only have 1 staff - the wife who earns under the threshold.

(1) = 1 staff.
(2) = 0 staff.
so all the staff ARE included in the above categories.

Thanks (4)
Replying to ugdiv:
RLI
By lionofludesch
15th Nov 2016 09:26

Oh, OK.

I expect you're right.

Thanks (0)
By JCresswellTax
15th Nov 2016 09:21

try 8,060

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By SteveHa
15th Nov 2016 09:36

(2) and (3) are the categories.

Thanks (2)
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By ugdiv
15th Nov 2016 10:02

That's interesting, though still not clear to me.

So "Tick this box if the defined benefit transitional period is being used" is a category?

And "How many staff in schemes? is a category.
But "How many staff?" is NOT a category.

I think the words "How many other staff members do not fall into the above categories? " are misleading.

Maybe I'm just having a bad hair day!

Thanks (4)
Replying to ugdiv:
RLI
By lionofludesch
15th Nov 2016 10:21

Remember that thousands of these forms have been filled in with no bother.

Several folk have told you the answer, the same every time, but here you are, still questioning it.

Thanks (3)
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By ugdiv
15th Nov 2016 12:34

OK I will shut-up now.
Suffice to say I telephoned the help line and the lady said she was very busy helping people who also struggle to complete the forms.

Thanks to all who replied.

Thanks (4)
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By thomas34
15th Nov 2016 13:48

Don't agree with you Lion - there's no evidence that thousands of these forms have been completed without a problem. If the OP is referring to the Declaration of Compliance he has my full sympathy - I recently spent the best part of an hour on one of these with new User IDs set up on the advice of the Regulator. After failing miserably the client was talked through the process over a 45 minute period by a helpful member of staff from the Regulator. Yes, there is a lot of evidence that the website is a dog's dinner.

Thanks (4)
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By Paul Deakins
16th Nov 2016 21:37

You have to enrol all employees regardless if they or you want to or not, it's a requirement, when they are enrolled the provider writes to them giving them four weeks to opt out, if that's what they want to do. I agree with Tom, I think the answer here should be one, I had a similar encounter upon doing this also, try adjusting your figure to move you onto the next level, it's straight forward after that.

Thanks (1)