Having now (extremely reluctantly) set up 3 Employer Pension Schemes with NEST with a total of 6 employees automatically enrolled, not a single one has received a welcome pack. Is this Gross Incompetence or a way of trying to force Employees to stay in? During an online chat with Nest following the first instance we asked point blank 3 times if they could confirm that the packs had been sent out. The question was carefully avoided 3 times. Following the latest instance an Employee phoned NEST to complain about non-receipt of the pack and therefore not being able to opt out and was basically told 'tough you can't opt out now'. She was not informed that she could cease contributions. Are others experiencing this?
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No, I've not heard of people not receiving a welcome pack if their address was the right one. I have had people not getting them because I wasn't told of their new address.
It seems to me that you should make a formal complaint, as I doubt it's just these companies that are having the problem.
No. I'm surprised you've got a boat-load of folk wanting to opt out though. I've had 3. Nearly everyone has taken up the option with alacrity.
That may change, of course, when contributions triple next year.
Well, at least they have 2½ times as much in the fund as they paid in.
I've had no problems with NEST. Peoples is OK too.
Now! are different - this stupid idea of creating every single pay period is as time-consuming as it is pointless.
I've had silly e-mails from NEST threatening to report me to the Pensions Regulator because contributions logged on their system are marked as overdue. Amounts shown as due and payable £0.00. That could be an interesting exchange of correspondence
The NEST Direct Debit needs to be confirmed/authorised/approved every time a payment is made - it's not automatically collected like most other DDs
The NEST Direct Debit needs to be confirmed/authorised/approved every time a payment is made - it's not automatically collected like most other DDs
Agreed and very frustrating. Consequently, I now tend to carryout all the actions on the same day in order to inadvertently overlook approving the payment. In doing so NEST still send a "We will report you to the Pensions Regulator" email despite payment being taken. I am thinking of reporting them myself to the Pensions Regulator with the charge of "not fit for purpose" - currently giving them the benefit of doubt - although this thread may prompt a rethink!
PS not aware of employees not receiving welcome pack - but will prompt me now to enquire as pensions is not everyones hot topic.
I've also had problems with remembering to trigger the dd's and had difficulties with at least one client about this. I agree the best way to do this is to do every client's submission all in one go. Then when the Nest email comes through, check again that all the payments will be taken.
It's a major reason for me to dislike Nest.
I've had no problem with staff receiving the welcome packs.
I've also found communication pretty good if you use the live chat facility on their website.
I do agree the procedure for having to approve a payment already paid via DD is quite annoying.
Don't think there is a welcome pack - employees are just sent a letter with their individual log in details for the website - everything is then done online.
All the information an employee needs to know is shown online.
I believe that it is possible for employees yet to receive their letter with NEST ID to call NEST, correctly identify themselves (DOB, NINO etc.) and then opt out over the phone.
Assumes, of course, that the individual has given his employer the correct NINO and can remember it on the telephone when prompted without asking their employer what it is. Old duffers (like me) seem to have no trouble remembering their NINO; my 21 year old daughter asks me for a reminder (via some social media direct message, naturally) every time she is required to quote it or complete a form.
Another one to add to this. 10 staff, none received pack and opt out deadline missed. Staff getting nowhere with Nest so phoned on their behalf and spent an hour on the phone. Great idea that the government puts this in place but whom is regulating NEST to make sure they are compliant?
I am an ex-employee of a recruitment agency which uses Nest. I am approaching retirement and am investigating receiving my pension; fortunately, I have a relatively small amount invested with them. Everything has to be done online, which would be all right if the online forms worked, which they don't.
I had an "online chat", in which the agent promised to stick with me while I completed the online forms, but in fact they terminated the conversation while I was in the middle of it (I wasn't being at all rude)!
I've a feeling that I might never receive my money from this scheme.
Lodge a formal complaint with Nest first, and if still no good, go to the Pensions Regulator.