The number of compliance notices issued to employers for failing to meet automatic enrolment (AE) duties has increased by nearly 50 per cent compared with the last quarter.
The latest figures from The Pensions Regulator’s (TPR) quarterly compliance and enforcement bulletin highlighted that the Regulator is continuing to use its powers to ensure employers are meeting their duties.
Darren Ryder, Director of Automatic Enrolment at TPR, said: ‘It is not enough to just comply with automatic enrolment laws by signing staff up to a scheme. Employers must also meet their duties to contribute into their employees’ pensions every month.’
The bulletin also revealed that TPR issued Unpaid Contribution Notices to 753 employers between July and September this year, an increase from 653 in the previous quarter. These notices require employers to ensure all backdated contributions are paid within 28 days.
‘Clearly 753 employers not paying contributions is a very small proportion of those that are compliant – less than 0.1 per cent. But every employer which is failing to make payments into their staff’s pension pot is one too many. We will not let employers get away with failing to meet their duties and we will take action,’ said Ryder.
Between July and September TPR issued another 5,479 fixed penalty notices to employers for failing to comply with a statutory notice or a specific duty. Overall, TPR used its powers in 21,753 AE cases.
