Employers now:u common errors and warnings

We’ve produced this guide to help you deal with all the errors you’re likely to see when you’re uploading and importing your pension data files to now:u.

now:pensions caters for a wide range of sizes and types of workplace, from very small to larger and more complicated.

We’ve designed the guide to work for lots of different clients and systems, so not all the errors and warnings will apply to everyone.

Checking for accuracy

now:u is set up to help you make sure your pension data is as accurate as possible. There are two levels of checks when you upload a file.

File-level checks

These are to do with the structure of the file – for example, whether it’s in the right format and has the right number of columns and headers.

Field-level checks

These are to do with the information in the file. Every time you upload a file, now:u checks the data in your file and matches it against the information you’ve uploaded before to help make sure it’s accurate.

Warnings

The main difference between errors and warnings is that if you get a warning, you can usually carry on uploading your pension data file. But warnings have important information and you should check whether you need to do anything. 

Email address formats

This section shows the format email addresses must be in for now:u to accept them.

National Insurance number (NINO) formats

This section shows the formats for NINOs and lists NINO formats that will not be accepted.

Updating this guide

We know systems and processes can change. So we update this guide from time to time to make sure it stays accurate. This version is dated 19 May 2025.

File-level checks

We check for the following errors.

• The file is not in CSV format
• The file size is zero
• Another file is currently being processed for the same payroll
• The file contains viruses or other potentially harmful content
• The file doesn’t have columns
• The file has no headers
• You’ve selected ‘headerless file’ but the file has headers
• The file only has headers and no other information
• The file has already been updated by another user
• The file name is longer than 240 characters
• The file name includes characters the system won’t accept
• The file is bigger than 70 mb
• You’ve tried to upload more than 5 files in your current session

If your file fails any of these checks, you’ll see an error message. You’ll need to fix the error and try uploading the file again.

File-level error messages

This table shows all the error messages and how to fix them.

Field-level checks

Once your file has passed these checks, it comes to the second level: field-level checks.

All rows that fail one or more field-level checks are collated and shown on the Validate step of the upload process.

Each row with an error will show key fields and a message describing the error. Here’s an example.

By choosing Download all errors, you can download an error log. This is a CSV file with information on all the errors in your current upload.

Choose Cancel and upload a new file. This deletes the whole pension data file, including rows with no errors. Once you’ve fixed all the errors, you can upload a new pension data file. Remember to include all the rows with no errors as well as revised rows with errors fixed.

If you get more errors after uploading a new file, you’ll need to repeat the process. You won’t be able to carry on with your upload until the field-level check finds no errors in any of the rows in your pension data file.

Matching queries

When you upload a pension data file, we cross-reference the data in the new file with the existing data in our system. If data in the new pension data file matches worker data in our system – that is, all the key fields are the same – the row for that worker will be accepted.

If the system finds some of a worker’s data doesn’t match data we already hold, we’ll raise a matching query during the upload process. You’ll need to confirm the reason why there’s a mismatch in the data.

Post-matching fixes

Once the member matching’s done – the records in the pension data file have been matched to the right workers and periods of service in the system – there are some additional checks to make sure the data that’s uploaded for those workers and periods of service is accurate.

If we find any errors, the row will show the key fields and a message describing the error. Here’s an example.

By choosing Download errors, you can download an error log. This is a CSV file with information on all the errors in your current upload.

You’ll need to resolve each error separately. The error message will show what options are available for you to resolve each error.  

These are the errors you can fix during the upload process.

• Update enrolment date. If the error relates to the worker not being active this will re-enrol them into the scheme
• Edit contributions. If the contributions do not meet the minimum requirements you can provide revised figures to resolve the error.
• Remove opt-out date. Workers must opt out through now:u, if you are providing a new enrolment date and opt out date in the same file you can remove the opt out date so the worker enrolment is processed.
• Discard record. This means the whole row in the pension data file will not be processed.

Field-level error messages

Code	Error message	How to fix it
V104	The pension data file contains duplicate periods of service for this worker. Please review your data file and remove the duplicate record.	Check your file and delete any duplicate periods of service you find.
V001	Forename 1 is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Make sure there’s a forename in this field.
V002	Forename 1 must not exceed 40 characters	Check and shorten the name.
V186	Forename 1 contains invalid characters	Change the name so it only contains letters, spaces, hyphens and apostrophes.
V005	Forename 2 must not exceed 40 characters	Check and shorten the name.
V181	Forename 2 contains invalid characters	Check the name. It must only contain letters, spaces, hyphens and apostrophes.
V007	Surname is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Make sure there’s a last name in this field.
V008	Surname must not exceed 40 characters	Check and shorten the name.
V180	Surname contains invalid characters	Check the name. It must only contain letters, spaces, hyphens and apostrophes.
V183	NINO is not valid	The number itself could be incorrect, or correct but in the wrong format. See the NINO format section below.
V248	There are records with same NINO that belong to different employees in the following rows in the file – {actual row #s which are all duplicate}. Please discard these records before uploading the file. If you are uploading two periods of service for same member please do one after the other by choosing the ‘add new worker’ option from the pay period once the original file is processed.	Your file has details for different workers with the with the same NINO. Check and delete the records with duplicate NINOs before you try uploading the file again. If you’re uploading two separate periods of service for the same worker, add one first and upload your file. Once the file has been processed, go into that pay period and add the second period of service by choosing Add new worker.
V015	STARTDATE is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Add the worker’s start date.
V016	STARTDATE in invalid format	Check and correct the date format. It must be DD/MM/YYYY.
V156	STARTDATE must be a valid calendar date	Check and correct the date.
V017	STARTDATE of employment is after the end date of the current pay period	The worker’s start date can’t be after the end of the current pay period. Check and correct the date.
V155	STARTDATE must not be more than 74 years earlier than the current date	Check and correct the date.
V018	Title is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Add the worker’s title.
V142	Title contains invalid characters	Check the title. It must only contain letters, spaces, hyphens and apostrophes.
V020	DOB is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Add the worker’s date of birth.
V021	DOB in invalid format	Check and correct the date format. It must be DD/MM/YYYY.
V144	DOB is not a valid calendar date	Check and correct the date of birth.
V022	Workers DOB is in the future	The worker’s date of birth can’t be in the future. Check and correct the date.
V135	DOB cannot be on or after ENROL DATE	The worker’s date of birth can’t be the same as, or later than, their enrolment date. Check and correct the date of birth.
V136	DOB cannot be on or after EXIT DATE	The worker’s date of birth can’t be the same as, or later than, their date of leaving. Check and correct the date of birth.
V134	DOB cannot be on or after START DATE	The worker’s date of birth can’t be the same as, or later than, their start date. Check and correct the date of birth.
V023	Worker is aged over 75 and is not subject to Auto Enrolment	Remove the enrolment date so you don’t accidentally re-enrol this worker.  Or, remove the worker from your file.
V024	Worker is aged under 16 and is not subject to Auto Enrolment	Remove the worker from your file.
V025	SEX is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Add M or F.
V026	SEX must be either M or F	Correct to M or F.
V027	PAYROLLNO is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Add payroll number.
V028	PAYROLLNO must not exceed 25 characters	Check and change payroll number.
V242	PAYROLLNO contains invalid characters	Check the number. It can only contain numbers, letters and the following special characters: ” ‘ #  $ > < %  &  ( ) [ ] { }  –  * + . :   / = ? @ ! _
V206	The Contract details provided are already assigned to an existing record under this paycode. This functionality is to be used to add new employees or new contracts. If needed please update the contributions for the existing record in the Payrolls section of the portal or get in touch with us via web chat to discuss your options.	You’ll see this message if you upload a file to add a new worker and the paycode, payroll number and start date are the same as an existing worker’s record. You’ll either need to edit the existing record or ask us for help using webchat.
V029	PAYSTART is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Add the start date.
V030	PAYSTART in invalid format	Check and correct the date format. It must be DD/MM/YYYY.
V164	PAYSTART must be a valid calendar date	Check and correct the date.
V188	PAYSTART cannot be more than one calendar month in the future	Check and correct the date.
V103	PAYSTART should be the same for all rows	Check and correct the date.
V032	The pay period start date is {dd/mm/yy} we are expecting {dd/mm/yy}. Please correct the value in your import file or update the expected value in the portal. If you are not able to update the pay period start date in the portal to a required value please get in touch with us via web chat to get the details modified.	The pay period start date is different from what now:u expects. Please update the pay period start date in your pension data file and in now:u. The format must be DD/MM/YYYY. If you can’t update the date in now:u, please ask us for help using webchat.
V207	The earliest pay period start date you can provide is up to 3 months back dated from your Duties Start date. Please check and correct the details.	The pay period start date can’t be earlier than 3 months before your duties start date. Check and correct the date.
V240	The pay period start date must be greater than the date provided for the previous pay period uploaded to this payroll.	The pay period start date must be later than the start date for the previous pay period you uploaded. Check and correct the date.
V033	PAYPERIOD is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Add the pay period number.
V034	PAYPERIOD must be numeric.	Check and correct the pay period number to use numbers only.
V035	PAYPERIOD must not exceed 2 digits	Check and correct the pay period number – it can only be 1 or 2 digits.
V102	PAYPERIOD should be the same for all rows	Check and correct the pay period.
V208	The pay period is {1} we are expecting {0}. Please correct the value in your import file or update the expected value in the portal. If you are not able to edit the pay period in the portal please get in touch with us via web chat to get the details modified. (1 and 0 will be the actual numbers.)	now:u is expecting a different pay period from the one you’re uploading. Please update the pay period number in your pension data file and in now:u. If you can’t update the number in now:u, please ask us for help using webchat.
V209	Please check the pay period number added; as this doesn’t match with the frequency of the associated payroll. If you are not able to update the pay period in the portal to a required value please get in touch with us via web chat to get the details modified.	The pay period number you’ve added doesn’t match the payroll frequency. If you can’t update the pay period number in now:u, please ask us for help using webchat.
V036	PAYFREQ is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Add your payroll frequency.
V182	Invalid payment frequency	Check and correct the payroll frequency.
V210	The payment frequency is {1} we are expecting {0}. Please correct the value in the import file or please get in touch with us via web chat if the frequency for this payroll has changed (1 and 0 will be the actual payroll frequencies.)	Please update the payroll frequency in your pension data file and in now:u. If you can’t update the payroll frequency in now:u, please ask us for help using webchat.
V038	ENROL DATE in invalid format	Check and correct the date format. It must be DD/MM/YYYY.
V138	ENROL DATE must be a valid calendar date	Check and correct the date.
V040	ENROL DATE should not be before STARTDATE	The enrolment date can’t be before the worker’s start date. Check and correct the date.
V041	ENROL DATE should be before EXIT DATE	The enrolment date must be before the worker’s leaving date. Check and correct the date.
V110	ENROL date and OPTOUT should not be provided together for the first time. Please either discard the record or the remove opt-out date before continuing with the upload.	You can’t have an enrolment date and an opt-out date in the same pension data file for the first time. Please remove the opt-out date and continue enrolling the worker. The worker can use now:u to opt out. You can then include the opt-out date in your next pension data file upload.
V187	ENROL DATE must not be more than one calendar month in the future	Check and correct the date.
V191	ENROL DATE cannot be provided when assessment is Worker	Only eligible and non-eligible jobholders and entitled workers can be enrolled. Please check the assessment as ‘worker’ is correct. If it is, remove the enrolment date.
V262	Contributions provided for a worker who is not active. If the contributions are to be processed please edit the record to provide the new enrolment date.	You’ll see this if you upload a file with contributions for a worker who isn’t currently an active member. Workers must be enrolled before contributions can be accepted so you will need to provide the enrolment date.
V212	ENROL DATE not supplied for worker who has requested to join and the workers earnings exceed the threshold for enrolment	Please check whether the worker is an entitled worker. If they are, they don’t qualify to be enrolled, so there’s no enrolment date.
V239	The worker cannot be enrolled as the workplace has chosen to stop using now:pensions.	You can’t enrol new workers if you’ve chosen to stop using now:pensions.
V213	ENROL DATE must be provided for the record to accept contributions for the contract	You’ll see this if a new period of service is added while resolving matching queries. You must add an enrolment date for now:u to accept contributions for the worker.
V250	ENROL DATE must be provided when adding a worker to a previously submitted pay period. Please add the workers enrol date, or if they have not been enrolled then include the record in the next pay period to be loaded via the dashboard	You must include the enrolment date when you’re adding a worker to a pay period you’ve already submitted. If the worker hasn’t yet been enrolled, please include their details when you upload your pension data file for the next pay period.
V042	POSTPONEMENT DATE in invalid format	Check and correct the date format. It must be DD/MM/YYYY.
V141	POSTPONEMENT DATE must be a valid calendar date	Check and correct the date.
V145	POSTPONEMENT DATE must not be greater than 4 months from current date	You can’t postpone assessing your workers for auto enrolment for more than 3 months. Please check and correct the date.
V146	POSTPONEMENT DATE cannot be pre 01/10/2012	Check and correct the date.
V043	POSTPONEMENT DATE should not be before STARTDATE	Check and correct the date.
V044	POSTPONEMENT DATE should not be after ENROL DATE; remove postponement date if enrolled.	You can’t postpone workers after they’ve been enrolled. Remove the postponement date from enrolled workers’ details.
V131	POSTPONEMENT DATE cannot be provided when assessment is Worker	You can’t postpone someone whose assessment is ‘worker’, although you can postpone entitled workers.
V045	ASSESSMENT is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Add your assessment of the worker.
V046	ASSESSMENT does not match any of the permissible options	Check and correct your assessment.
V047	ADDRESS 1 is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Add address line 1.
V150	ADDRESS 1 contains invalid character(s)	Change the address so it only contains letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens and apostrophes.
V151	ADDRESS 2 contains invalid character(s)	Change the address so it only contains letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens and apostrophes.
V152	ADDRESS 3 contains invalid character(s)	Change the address so it only contains letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens and apostrophes.
V153	ADDRESS 4 contains invalid character(s)	Change the address so it only contains letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens and apostrophes.
V154	ADDRESS 5 contains invalid character(s)	Change the address so it only contains letters, numbers, spaces, hyphens and apostrophes.
V053	POSTCODE is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Check and add the postcode.
V143	POSTCODE contains invalid character(s)	UK postcodes should only include letters and numbers.
V054	POSTCODE must not exceed 8 characters	Check and correct the postcode.
V055	EMAIL must not exceed 100 characters	Check and correct the email address. See Email address formats below for more about this.
V185	EMAIL in invalid format	Please check and correct the email format. See Email address formats below for more about this.
V058	SAL SACRIFICE is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	You must fill in this field to show whether you use salary sacrifice or not.
V059	SAL SACRIFICE must be Y or N / Yes or No	Add Y or Yes if workers pay in to their pension savings through salary sacrifice. Add N or No if they don’t.
V260	Contribution values in incorrect fields if using salary sacrifice – all contributions should be submitted as Employer payments	If workers pay through salary sacrifice, all contributions must be treated as workplace contributions and coded as ER CONTS.
V060	EE CONTS must be numeric	Worker contributions must be in numbers.
V061	EE CONTS cannot be negative	Check and correct the amount of worker contributions.
V062	EE CONTS is limited to 2 decimal places	Check and correct the decimal places on the amount of worker contributions, for example: £350.50.
V251	EE CONTS is limited to value of 999999.99	now:u can’t process contributions of more than £999,999.99 in one pay period. Check and correct the contribution amount.
V214	Please check the EE CONTS provided; the amount does not match the expected value based on Pensionable earnings and EE CONT %. Use the edit contribution option to provide revised figures.	The worker contribution amount doesn’t match what now:u expects, based on pensionable earnings and the workers’ contribution rate. Please use the edit contribution option to provide the revised figures.
V063	ER CONTS must be numeric	Workplace contributions must be in numbers.
V064	ER CONTS cannot be negative	Check and correct the amount of workplace contributions.
V065	ER CONTS is limited to 2 decimal places	Check and correct the decimal places on the amount of workplace contributions, for example: £350.50
V252	ER CONTS is limited to value of 999999.99	now:u can’t process contributions of more than £999,999.99 in one pay period. Check and correct the contribution amount.
V215	Please check the ER CONTS provided; the amount does not match the expected value based on Pensionable earnings and ER CONT %. Use the edit contribution option to provide revised figures.	The workplace contribution amount doesn’t match what now:u expects, based on pensionable earnings and the workplace contribution rate.  Please use the edit contribution option to provide the revised figures.
V066	AVCS must be numeric	Workers’ extra contributions must be in numbers.
V067	AVCS cannot be negative	Check and correct the amount of workers’ extra contributions.
V068	AVCS is limited to 2 decimal places	Check and correct the decimal places on the amount of workers’ extra contributions, for example: £350.50.
V253	AVCS is limited to value of 999999.99	now:u can’t process workers’ extra contributions of more than £999,999.99 in one pay period. Check and correct the contribution amount.
V069	OPTIN in invalid format	Check and correct the date format. It must be DD/MM/YYYY.
V157	OPTIN must be a calendar date	Check and correct the date.
V158	OPTIN cannot be pre 01/10/2012	Check and correct the date.
V159	OPTIN must not be greater than 1 month from current date	The opt-in date can’t be more than a month from today’s date. Check and correct the date.
V070	OPTIN should not be before STARTDATE	The opt-in date can’t be earlier than the worker’s start date. Check and correct the date.
V071	OPTIN should not be equal to OPTOUT DATE	If the worker has previously opted out, the opt-in date can’t be the same as the opt-out date. Check and correct the date.
V072	OPTIN should not be after EXIT DATE	If the worker has left now:pensions, the opt-in date can’t be later than their leaving date.
V074	OPTOUT in invalid format	Check and correct the date format. It must be DD/MM/YYYY.
V147	OPTOUT must be a valid calendar date	Check and correct the date.
V148	OPTOUT cannot be pre 01/10/2012	Check and correct the date.
V149	OPTOUT must not be greater than 1 month from current date	The opt-out date can’t be more than a month later than today’s date. Check and correct the date.
V075	OPTOUT should not be before STARTDATE	The opt-out date can’t be earlier than the start date. Check and correct the date.
V137	OPTOUT should not be before ENROLMENT DATE	The opt-out date can’t be earlier than the enrolment date. Check and correct the date.
V108	OPTIN and OPTOUT should not both be provided in first pay period	Members can’t opt out before they’ve been enrolled. If a member has opted in, please enrol them into now:pensions. They’ll then be able to use now:u  to opt out.
V076	GROSS PAY must be numeric	Gross (before tax) pay must be in numbers.
V077	GROSS PAY cannot be negative	Check and correct the amount of gross pay.
V078	GROSS PAY is limited to 2 decimal places	Check and correct the decimal places on the amount of gross pay, for example: £350.50.
V254	GROSS PAY is limited to value of 999999.99	now:u can’t process gross pay of more than £999,999.99 in one pay period. Check and correct the amount of gross pay.
V080	EXIT DATE in invalid format	Check and correct the date format. It must be DD/MM/YYYY.
V161	EXIT DATE must be a valid calendar date	Check and correct the date.
V162	EXIT DATE cannot be pre 01/10/2012	Check and correct the date.
V166	EXIT DATE must not be more than one calendar month in the future	The worker’s leaving date can’t be more than a month later than today’s date. Check and correct the date.
V081	EXIT DATE should not be before STARTDATE	The worker’s leaving date can’t be earlier than the worker’s start date.
V083	EE CONT % must be numeric	The workers’ contribution rate must be in numbers.
V084	EE CONT % cannot be negative	Check and correct the workers’ contribution rate.
V085	EE CONT % is limited to 2 decimal places	Check and correct the decimal places on the workers’ contribution rate, for example: 5.00.
V255	EE CONT %is limited to value of 999.99	now:u can’t process worker contributions of more than 999.99 percent in one pay period. Check and correct the percentage.
V086	ER CONT % must be numeric	The workplace contribution rate must be in numbers.
V087	ER CONT % cannot be negative	Check and correct the workplace contribution rate.
V256	ERCONT %is limited to value of 999.99	now:u can’t process workplace contributions of more than 999.99 percent in one pay period. Check and correct the percentage.
V088	ER CONT % is limited to 2 decimal places	Check and correct the decimal places on the workplace contribution rate, for example: 3.00.
V089	PAY CODE is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Add pay code.
V090	PAY CODE must be alphanumeric	Check the code. It can only contain numbers and letters.
V091	PAY CODE must not exceed 4 characters	Make sure your pay code has no more than 4 characters.
V216	The PAY CODE is {1} we are expecting {0}.  Please ensure the correct PAY CODE is provided for this payroll. (1 and 0 will be the actual codes.)	now:u is expecting a different pay code from the one you’re uploading. Please check and, if necessary, correct the pay code for this payroll.
V092	ER CODE is a mandatory field and must not be left blank	Add workplace code.
V093	ER CODE must be alphanumeric	Check the code. It can only contain numbers and letters.
V094	ER CODE must not exceed 4 characters	Make sure your workplace code has no more than 4 characters.
V217	The ER CODE is {1} we are expecting {0}.  Please ensure the correct ER CODE is provided for this payroll. (1 and 0 will be the actual codes.)	now:u is expecting a different workplace code from the one you’re uploading. Please check and, if necessary, correct the workplace code for this payroll.
V116	SCHEME CODE provided does not match any of the active scheme tiers	Make sure all your scheme codes match your contribution models.
V096	PENSIONABLE EARNINGS must be numeric	Pensionable earnings must be in numbers.
V097	PENSIONABLE EARNINGS cannot be negative	Check and correct the amount of pensionable earnings.
V098	PENSIONABLE EARNINGS is limited to 2 decimal places	Check and correct the decimal places on the amount of pensionable earnings, for example: £350.50.
V115	Contributions for worker who has not been enrolled cannot be accepted.	These contributions are for a worker who has not been enrolled. now:u can’t accept them.
V219	Contributions for worker who has opted out. Contributions will not be processed.	You’ll see this if you’re trying to upload contributions for a worker who has opted out. now:u won’t process the contributions.
V221	Contributions for worker who has ceased active membership. Contributions submitted in this pay period will not be processed.	These contributions are for a worker who has stopped paying in.  now:u won’t process them.
V222	Contributions for worker who has left employment. Contributions cannot be processed as they post date the workers exit date. If the worker has been re-enrolled please use the update enrolment date option to provide the new date. If you want to continue contributions for the existing enrolment then please cancel the upload; remove the exit date via the Manage Workers section and then re-upload the file.	You’ll see this if you’re trying to upload contributions for a worker who has left their employment. If the contributions are valid then you will either need to: If the worker has returned for a new period of enrolment then provide the new enrolment date. If the contributions relate to the existing enrolment period you can remove the exit date from the Manage workers section. If the contributions are not valid then please select no payment due.
V223	Contributions for worker who has exited the scheme. Contributions submitted in this pay period will not be processed as they post date the exit date.	You’ll see this if you’re trying to upload contributions for a worker who has left now:pensions because they’ve taken their money out, or have transferred out. now:u won’t process the contributions as they came in after the worker’s leaving date.
V237	The worker has exited the scheme. Contributions submitted in this pay period will not be processed as they post date the exit date.	This refers to a worker who has died. now:u won’t process the contributions as they came in after the worker’s leaving date (the date they died).
V224	The details you entered are the same as previously provided. If you don’t wish to make any changes then; please click ‘cancel’; otherwise please update the relevant details and then click ‘save’	You’ll see this if you’ve been editing contributions in a pay period you’ve previously submitted but haven’t changed anything, and you save your changes.
V247	Contributions cannot be submitted when the assessment is Worker. Please update the assessment type or remove the contributions.	You can’t submit contributions for an employee whose assessment is ‘worker’. If the assessment is wrong, please change it. Or, remove the contributions.
V225	The total contribution percentages provided do not meet minimum percentages required as per the scheme code.	Check your workplace and worker contribution percentages and change them if necessary.
V226	The employer contribution percentages provided do not meet minimum employer percentages required as per the scheme code.	Your workplace contribution percentages don’t meet the minimum your contribution model requires. Check your workplace contribution percentages and change them if necessary.
V227	The total contribution percentages provided do not meet minimum percentages required as per AE regulations	Your total contribution percentages don’t meet the minimum auto enrolment requirements. Check your workplace and worker contribution percentages and change them if necessary.
V228	The employer contribution percentages provided do not meet minimum employer percentages required as per AE regulations	Your workplace contribution percentages don’t meet the minimum auto enrolment requirements. Check your workplace contribution percentages and change them if necessary.
V229	Provided pensionable earnings value exceeds the limit. Maximum value that can be specified for pensionable earning is 999999.99; please check and correct	now:u can’t process pensionable earnings of more than £999,999.99 in one pay period. Check and correct the amount.
V230	Please check the NINO provided; as it is already assigned to a different worker. Please flag this matching query as an error so that the NINO can be removed; and you can proceed with the upload. If the existing contract holds the incorrect NINO this can be removed via the Manage Workers section after the upload has been completed.	The NINO for the worker you’re adding is the same as for an existing worker. Please flag this as an error so the NINO can be deleted and you can carry on uploading your file. If you need to change the existing worker’s NINO you can do this in Manage workers after you’ve uploaded the file.
V231	You cannot select create a new worker as it will result in two workers with the same NINO. If the record in the import file is a different worker to the existing contracts; please flag this matching query as an error so that the NINO can be removed; and you can proceed with the upload. If the existing contract holds the incorrect NINO this can be removed via the Manage Workers section after the upload has been completed.	You can’t choose Add new worker as the new worker’s NINO is the same as an existing worker. If the new member you’re trying to add is different from the existing workers, please flag this as an error so the NINO can be deleted and you can carry on uploading your file. If you need to change the existing worker’s NINO you can do this in Manage workers after you’ve uploaded the file.
V232	This contract has already been matched against row # (already matched row #) from your import file. You therefore cannot select same person. Please correct this file record; or row # (already matched row #) if it is available to edit. Otherwise please cancel the file upload; edit the required fields in the file and resubmit.	This period of service has the same paycode, payroll number and start date as an existing period of service. Please check and, if necessary, correct the new period of service or the existing period of service. Or cancel the file upload, edit your file and try uploading it again.
V233	You cannot select this option as a contract with the same payroll number and start date already exists under the workplace and payroll. Please correct this file record otherwise cancel the upload; edit the required records in the file and resubmit.	This period of service has the same payroll number and start date as an existing period of service. Please check and correct your file. Or cancel the file upload, edit your file and try uploading it again.
V234	You cannot select the option to update the details of an existing record when using the add new worker file upload function. To correct the contribution details of an existing record please select the relevant pay period in the Payroll section of the portal.	You can’t update an existing record when you’re uploading a file or using Add new worker. From your dashboard, you’ll need to go into Payroll and choose the pay period you want to edit.
V235	There are some matching queries against records in the submitted file. Please login to your Now Pensions portal to resolve the queries and complete the import.	The file you’ve uploaded has matching queries. Please log in to now:u to fix the queries and finish importing your file.
V236	We have identified some missing active contracts for the pay period being submitted. Please login to your Now Pensions portal to provide the details for  the missing contracts and complete the import.	There are missing periods of service in the pay period you’ve uploaded a file for. Please log in to now:u to add the missing periods of service and finish importing your file.
V244	We need to know the optout period end dates for the jobholders you are trying to enrol. Please login to your Now Pensions portal to provide the date and complete the import.	There are missing opt-out period end dates for the workers you’re trying to enrol. Please log in to now:u to add the missing dates and finish importing your file.
V264	When providing the option of Maternity/Paternity leave the total contribution amount cannot be zero.	If contributions are to be submitted for the worker then please enter the relevant values. If no contributions are to be processed, select no payments due instead of Maternity/Paternity leave.
V265	You must select “No payments due”; if total of workplace contribution, worker contribution and AVC is equal to zero.	If no contributions are to be processed for the worker then please select no payments due.

Warnings

Code	Warning	What you need to do
V241	This is a blank row which will be ignored	You don’t need to do anything – now:u will ignore the blank row.
V014	NINO missing – only OK within 6 months of employment start	Check and add the NINO.
V112	Changing the ENROL DATE from DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY will generate a new enrolment communication and start a new opt out period	You’ll see this if you try to change the enrolment date for a member who has opted out, stopped paying in, left employment, retired or transferred out.
V261	The ENROL DATE supplied for worker who has requested to join is same as previous enrolment. So will not generate a new enrolment for the member in the system.	You’ll see this if a worker who has previously opted out or stopped paying in asks to rejoin, but you’ve tried to use their old enrolment date. Please put the new enrolment date in.
V211	ENROL DATE changing from DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY. The worker is already active so the update to the enrol date will not be processed.	You’ll see this if you upload a file with a new enrolment date for a worker who is currently enrolled and paying contributions. The enrolment date won’t change.
V119	ENROL DATE not supplied for worker who has requested to join	Please check and add an enrolment date for the worker. Triggered if the pay period starts before the member’s opt-in date.
V238	ENROL DATE not supplied for worker who has requested to join	Please check and add an enrolment date for the worker. Triggered if pensionable earnings are below the auto enrolment threshold.
V249	The details are for worker who has exited the scheme. The details submitted in this pay period will not be processed as they post date the exit date.	You’ll see this if you try to upload details for a worker who has retired, transferred out of now:pensions, or died. now:u won’t process the details.
V048	ADDRESS 1 exceeds 100 characters	Edit the address to less than 100 characters.
V049	ADDRESS 2 exceeds 100 characters	Edit the address to less than 100 characters.
V050	ADDRESS 3 exceeds 100 characters	Edit the address to less than 100 characters.
V051	ADDRESS 4 exceeds 100 characters	Edit the address to less than 100 characters.
V052	ADDRESS 5 exceeds 100 characters	Edit the address to less than 100 characters.
V243	The workers email address has already been provided for a different worker. Using the same email for different workers is a security risk.	Check the email address. If necessary, ask the worker for another email address and upload this in your pension data file.
V073	OPTIN date detected in your payroll file. If this worker is to be enrolled in a subsequent  pay period please ensure that an ENROL DATE is provided in the relevant file	If you’re going to enrol this worker in the next pay period, please make sure you include an enrolment date for them in your pension data file.
V106	OPTOUT date should not be provided unless previously enrolled	You can’t give an opt-out date for a worker who doesn’t have an enrolment date.
V107	OPTOUT date should not be provided if worker has not opted out from the scheme	You can’t give an opt-out date for a worker who hasn’t opted out of now:pensions.
V117	OPTOUT date not supplied for worker who has opted out	You must include an opt-out date for a worker who has opted out.
V163	EXIT DATE is in the future and will be processed when EXIT DATE attained	The worker’s leaving date is in the future. now:u will process it when the leaving date is reached.
V099	PENSIONABLE EARNINGS should not exceed GROSS PAY; unless salary sacrifice is being used	The amount of pensionable earnings can’t be higher than the amount of gross pay unless the workers pay in to their pension savings through salary sacrifice.
V218	Contributions for worker who has opted out. Contributions will not be processed.	You’ll see this if you’re trying to upload contributions for a worker who has opted out. now:u won’t process them.
V220	Contributions for worker who has ceased active membership. Contributions submitted in this pay period will be processed.	You’ll see this if you’re uploading contributions for a worker who has stopped paying in. now:u will process them.
V114	Contributions for worker who has left employment. Contributions submitted in this pay period will be processed.	You’ll see this if you’re uploading contributions for a worker who has left employment. now:u will process them.
V263	Contributions do not match the expected amount based on the earnings provided for a worker who is not an active member of the scheme. Contributions will not be processed.	You’ll see this if you’ve uploaded contributions for a worker who is no longer paying in to now:pensions. now:u won’t process them.

Email address formats

All email addresses must follow this format for now:u to accept them.

An email address has three sections.

Section 1

This must start with a letter or number. After the first character, this section can have letters, number, one or more full stops, and any of the following special characters: ~ “ # $ % & ‘ * + / + ? ^ _ { } – !

Section 2

This must start with @. After that, it can contain letters, numbers or any of the following special characters: _. –

Section 3

This must start with a full stop. After that, it must have two or more letters or numbers. Many UK email addresses end in .com or co.uk.

Here are some examples.

Anna.Ward26@newmail.co.uk

H!ghfly3er188@my_Email.com

st4r3rw0rld42@made-up-mail.co.uk

J!m!_M0st@some.email.com

National Insurance number (NINO) formats

All NINOs must follow this format.

1. A NINO has nine characters.
2. The first two characters must be letters, but
   a. you can’t have D, F, Q, U or Y as the first or second letter
   b. you can’t have O as the second letter
   c. you can’t have any of these combinations: BG, GB, KN, NT, TN or ZZ.
3. The following six characters must be numbers.
4. The last character must be A, B, C or D.

As well as this, the following combinations aren’t valid NINOs.

AA000000A

AB123456C

AA123456A

AA000000B

BB000000B

AB123456A

AB000000A

AA111111A

AA010190A

CC000000C

AB123456B

AA000000C

AB123456D

AA123456B

AB000000C

AA000000D

AB000000B

BB000000A

AC000000A

AA000001A

AA999999A

Exception and bulk correction uploads

The table below shows the additional validations that are applied to the exception and bulk correction upload processes. 

Code	Error message	How to fix it
BE001	We are unable to process your file due to it being in an invalid format. Please ensure the file format is .csv.	Save your file in CSV format and re-upload it.
BE002	We are unable to process your file as it does not contain any information. Please upload a different file.	nowu does not accept empty files, input the required information before uploading again.
ES004	We are unable to process your exception file as it does not contain the correct column headers in the first row.	Please download the correct file format from nowu
BC005	We are unable to process your correction file as it does not contain the correct column headers in the first row.	Please download the correct file format from nowu
ES011	Sequence ID is a mandatory field. Please enter the Sequence ID created for this exception schedule.	Make sure the correct Sequence ID is in this field
ES012	Sequence ID does not match the value created for this schedule. Please enter the Sequence ID created for this exception schedule.	Make sure the correct Sequence ID is in this field
ES013	Request Date is a mandatory field. Please enter the Request Date created for this exception schedule.	Make sure the correct Request date is in this field
ES014	Request Date does not match the value created for this schedule. Please enter the Request Date created for this exception schedule in DD/MM/YYYY format.	Make sure the correct Request date is in this field
ES015	Forename field is mandatory. Cannot leave this field blank.	Make sure there’s a Forename in this field
EXS020	The worker details provided do not match to a permitted contract for the exception schedule. Please check the details to ensure that they match to the latest contract for the worker. If the worker does not exist under the workplace you cannot load a contribution via the exception schedule.	Please ensure the values in the Forename, Surname, NINO, DOB, STARTDATE and PAYROLLNO fields match the values held in nowu for the contract
ES021	The contribution exception file contains duplicate periods of service. Please review your data file and remove the duplicate record	Remove the duplicate record from the file.
ES022	Contributions cannot be accepted for this worker as they are not an active member of the scheme.	Contributions can only be accepted to contracts that have previously held an active status. Remove the row from the file if the contract does not meet this requirement.
ES023	Contributions cannot be accepted for this worker as the period for which the contributions are specified are after they have exited the scheme	You’ll see this if you’re trying to upload contributions for a worker who has taken their money, or transferred out, and the period for the exception contribution is after their exit date. Amend the period for the exception schedule to allow contributions.
ES052	Contributions have not been included for this worker. Please provide the contribution amounts to be processed or remove the record from the file.	Please add the relevant contributions to the record or remove the row from the file.
ES055	Non or Partial Payment Reason Code needs to be blank or 1	Add 1 or leave the field blank.  1 is used to confirm parental leave.
BC012	Internal Schedule Reference is a mandatory field. Please do not change this value from the downloaded file.	Make sure the correct Internal schedule reference is in this field. The value provided in the download file should not be amended.
BC013	Internal Schedule Reference does not match the value for this schedule. Please do not change this value from the downloaded file and ensure you are trying to upload the file against the correct pay period.	Make sure the correct Internal schedule reference is in this field. The value provided in the download file should not be amended.
BC014	Internal Schedule – Member Contract Reference is a mandatory field. Please do not change this value from the downloaded file.	Make sure the correct Internal schedule reference is in this field. The value provided in the download file should not be amended.
BC015	A worker record cannot be found for the Internal Schedule – Member Contract Reference provided. Please do not change this value from the downloaded file.	Make sure the correct Internal schedule – Member contract reference is in this field. The value provided in the download file should not be amended.
BC016	The correction data file contains duplicate Internal Schedule – Member Contract References. Please review your data file and remove the duplicate record.	Remove the duplicate record, or reference number, from the file.
BC017	You cannot update the record for this worker as their contract status means corrections cannot be made. Please remove the record from the file.	Remove the record from the file as corrections cannot be made to the record.
BC018	You cannot change the worker name in the correction file. Please do not change this value from the downloaded file.	Please do not update the values provided in the download file for this field.
BC019	You cannot change the worker NINO in the correction file. Please do not change this value from the downloaded file.	Please do not update the values provided in the download file for this field.
BC020	You cannot change the worker DOB in the correction file. Please do not change this value from the downloaded file.	Please do not update the values provided in the download file for this field.
BC021	You cannot change the worker Start Date in the correction file. Please do not change this value from the downloaded file.	Please do not update the values provided in the download file for this field.
BC022	You cannot change the worker Payroll No. in the correction file. Please do not change this value from the downloaded file.	Please do not update the values provided in the download file for this field.
BE031	EE CONT % must be provided where Pensionable Earnings are greater than zero.	The field cannot be blank, please enter the correct value even if this is 0.00
BE036	ER CONT % must be provided where Pensionable Earnings are greater than zero.	The field cannot be blank, please enter the correct value even if this is 0.00
BE041	Please check the EE CONTS provided; the amount does not match the expected value based on Pensionable earnings and EE CONT %.	The worker contribution amount doesn’t match what now:u expects, based on pensionable earnings and the workers’ contribution rate. Please use the edit contribution option to provide the revised figures.
BE046	Please check the ER CONTS provided; the amount does not match the expected value based on Pensionable earnings and EE CONT %.	The workplace contribution amount doesn’t match what now:u expects, based on pensionable earnings and the workers’ contribution rate. Please use the edit contribution option to provide the revised figures.
BC051	The details you entered are the same as previously provided. If you don’t wish to make any changes then; please do not put the correction indicator against this record.	The values provided in the EE CONTS, ER CONTS, AVCs and EXIT DATE fields match what we already hold. Please provide the corrected values.
BC062	EXIT DATE value cannot be changed in correction file.	An EXIT DATE exists on the contract, changes to exit dates are not permitted via a correction upload.
BC063	Non or Partial Payment Reason Code needs to be 1 or 2 or blank	Add 1, 2 or leave the field blank. 1 is used to confirm parental leave. 2 is used to confirm no payment is due
BC064	You cannot provide ‘Non or Partial Payment Reason Code’ as 1 when there are no contributions. Please select the reason code 2 if there are no contributions to be processed	Please update the values in the contribution fields, or non/partial payment code.
BC065	You cannot provide ‘Non or Partial Payment Reason Code’ as 2 when contributions are included in the file. Please either remove the contributions or the reason code	Please update the values in the contribution fields, or non/partial payment code.
BC066	Correction Indicator field cannot have a value other than Y	Please enter a value of Y or leave blank
BC067	This record will not be processed as the ‘Correction Indicator’ has not been provided for this record.	Input a Y in the correction indicator field if updates are required or ignore this warning if no updates are to be processed.