The Department for Work and Pensions has launched a consultation on defined benefit (DB) alternative quality requirements and provisions for seafarers and offshore workers in relation to auto-enrolment (AE).
This call for evidence invites views on how these aspects of AE regulations are working in practice, and is aimed at employers, employee representatives and pension industry professionals.
The alternative quality requirement allows for a simpler test to be used so that a DB scheme can demonstrate that it is of sufficient quality. The call for evidence aims to ascertain whether the simplifications and flexibilities introduced work in practice, and whether there are any unintended consequences. This applies to England, Wales and Scotland.
The consultation is also seeking evidence in relation to regulations that include seafarers and offshore workers within AE. It aims to test whether the regulations are working as intended in enabling these workers to be automatically enrolled into a workplace pension. This applies UK-wide.
The consultation runs until 30 August.
