Help Centre for Advisers
Resource Library - Resources
Employee / Member Communications
Resource Library - Collateral
Collateral - Introduction
This section contains an interesting collection of policy findings, reports and white papers.
These resources will guide you through everything you need to know about NOW: Pensions and what we offer to our clients and members
This section offers you a full guide to everything you need to know about Auto Enrolment and your responsibilities, whether you are an employer, payroll bureau or an adviser.
Documents in this section will help you sign up to the NOW: Pensions scheme, set up your Direct Debits and help with communications.
Find out how to login, verify company details, employer/admin role account setup, setting up your payroll, postponement decisions and importing employee data in this section.
Everything an employee needs to know about auto enrolment and the NOW: Pensions scheme can be found here. Including some useful templates for to help you communicate with them.
This section contains everything you need to know about managing your NOW: Pensions employer portal.
Resource Library - Reports & white papers
This section contains an interesting collection of policy findings, reports and white papers.
Value for money – Assessing value for money in defined contribution default funds
This report published by the Pensions Institute, explores whether the cost of membership offers value for money to the ‘average’ member. It looks at preliminary quantitative and qualitative findings of Caveat Venditor and provides fresh analysis. |
reports | |
Pensions 2022 – A vision of the future
“Pensions 2022 – a vision of the future” is a white paper report that brings together the views of eleven industry experts and commentators on what they hope the world of pensions will look like in 2022 – ten years on from the introduction of auto enrolment – and what they believe needs to happen to make their vision a reality. |
whitepapers | |
Policy of Social Responsibility in Investments – NOW: Pensions Trust
The Policy of Social Responsibility sets out the principles and policies adopted by NOW: Pension Trustee Limited in investing the assets of NOW: Pensions Trust. |
videos |
Resource Library - About NOW: Pensions
These resources will guide you through everything you need to know about NOW: Pensions and what we offer to our clients and members
NOW: Pensions features and benefits | brochure | |
Why NOW: Pensions for Advisers
Find out all the great reasons to work with NOW: Pensions in this document. |
brochure | |
NOW: Pensions adviser proposition
This brochure outlines the flexible solution and comprehensive support that NOW: Pensions offers so you can focus on advising your cients, from initial engagement right through to launching the scheme and implementation. |
brochure | |
Auto enrolment costs and charges
A two page document explaining some of the costs that may be associated with setting up a pension scheme, how to keep costs down and how much it costs to use NOW: Pensions. |
brochure | |
An introduction to auto enrolment contributions
The NOW: Pensions contribution models are designed to cater for all requirements, from those that want to comply with the legislation at minimum cost to those that want to offer their employees an enhanced benefit. In this document we outline your options. |
brochure | |
For employers: Guide to signing up to the NOW: Pensions scheme
This document outlines the online sign up process. It explains the steps that need to be taken, the information you will need to get started and what NOW: Pensions has to offer. |
brochure | |
3 minute guide to NOW: Pensions
An introduction to NOW: Pensions briefly detailing our key services, investment proposition and presenting our Board of Trustees. |
brochure | |
Adviser template: Auto enrolment overview of services and fees
An editable template financial advisers can give to clients outlining the fees advisers charge for auto enrolment such as assessment and structure; identifying and recommending providers; member communications; implementation; updates and post staging/duties start date services. |
template | |
The NOW: Pensions investment approach
Information about NOW: Pensions investment proposition covering our investment strategy, philosophy and management. A useful document in gaining more information on how your money is being managed. |
brochure | |
The key points to discuss with your adviser
There can be a lot of information to get to grips with when trying to understand auto enrolment. This document helps employers make sure they are asking the right questions when speaking to a financial adviser. |
brochure |
Resource Library - About auto enrolment
This section offers you a full guide to everything you need to know about Auto Enrolment and your responsibilities, whether you are an employer, payroll bureau or an adviser.
An introduction to auto enrolment
A guide to help explain the rules and regulations around auto enrolment including summary of auto enrolment, eligibility of a workforce (eligible jobholders, entitled workers and non-eligible jobholders), timings, member costs and postponement. |
brochure | |
Step by step guide to auto enrolment
This step by step guide will help you understand what is expected of you and how employees may be affected. The steps are broken down into the following categories: Staging/duties start dates and planning, Scheme selection, Scheme design and contributions, Payroll integration, Assessing workers, Postponement, Communications, Record keeping and reporting. |
brochure | |
Understanding auto re-enrolment
This document describes the process an employer must follow roughly every three years from their staging/duties start date. |
brochure |
Resource Library - Signing up
Documents in this section will help you sign up to the NOW: Pensions scheme, set up your Direct Debits and help with communications.
Direct Debit Instruction for contributions
A form for employers to complete and return to NOW: Pensions with instructions for their bank to pay for deducting contributions. |
form | |
Direct Debit instruction for charges
A form for employers to complete and return to NOW: Pensions with instructions for their bank to pay for deducting charges, if applicable. |
form | |
Guide to downloading a Direct Debit reconciliation report
This document provides guidance on how to use the Direct Debit contribution reconciliation report that is available on your NOW: Pensions portal. |
brochure | |
Adviser template: Client agreement
A template financial advisers can use to give to their clients agreeing the services they will provide for setting up a pension scheme. It includes a description of initial services, charges, ongoing and potential ad hoc services, services not covered under this agreement and any risk warnings. |
template | |
Adviser template: Suitability report
A report which financial advisers can adapt for their clients outlining their recommendation as to which pension provider they feel is most suitable, responsibilities, postponement, implementation plans and next steps. |
template | |
Online sign up form
The online sign up form can be completed and given to a business adviser such as a financial adviser or payroll bureau who can set up your NOW: Pension scheme online for you. |
form | |
Adviser template: Letter for prospective clients
A letter template financial advisers can send to potential clients to let them know that they advise on auto enrolment and that they can help them with the planning and set up. |
template | |
Adviser template: Letter for existing clients
A letter template financial advisers can use to help communicate to their clients how they can help them with the planning and getting set up for auto enrolment. |
template |
Resource Library - Employer portal set up
Find out how to login, verify company details, employer/admin role account setup, setting up your payroll, postponement decisions and importing employee data in this section.
Guide to setting up and using your employer portal
This is a document guiding employers through the initial set up of their employer portal and includes: logging in, verify company details, employer/admin role account setup, setting up your payroll, postponement decisions and importing employee data. |
brochure |
Resource Library - Employee communication
Everything an employee needs to know about auto enrolment and the NOW: Pensions scheme can be found here. Including some useful templates for to help you communicate with them.
An Employee’s Guide to Auto Enrolment
A straightforward and easy-to-read guide to auto enrolment into a workplace pension which explains auto enrolment from an employee’s perspective. |
brochure | |
Member booklet
Welcome to the NOW: Pensions Trust, your workplace pension scheme. Our member booklet will help you understand your workplace pension and the importance of saving for your retirement. It also explains where your money is invested, how tax relief on your pension contributions works, the charges we make, how to transfer pension savings in, and what you can do with your money when you retire. |
brochure | |
PowerPoint: Introducing your workplace pension
A presentation for employees which welcomes them to the scheme, explaining charges, contributions, additional voluntary contributions, opting out and more. You can present this to employees when they first join the scheme. |
template | |
Template: Tell your employees auto enrolment is coming
A letter which employers can give to their employees outlining when they will be auto enrolled, who is eligible to join and letting them know that NOW: Pensions will be looking after their scheme. |
template | |
For members: What can you do with your pension pot
Changes to pension regulations mean that you have several ways to take your money. If you’re aged 55, or older, you can take your pension savings without having to buy an annuity. Our helpful leaflet contains information about the pension choices available to you through the NOW: Pensions Trust and guidance about the things you need to think about when deciding what to do with your pension savings. |
brochure | |
For members: Your pension’s key features
We explain what auto enrolment into a workplace pension is, how it works and how pension savings are invested for members of the NOW: Pensions Scheme. We also set out administration costs and charges related to your pension scheme. |
brochure | |
A member’s guide to investments
We explain how NOW: Pensions manages members’ pension savings and how we invest employer and employee contributions. We also explain how our Diversified Growth Fund and Retirement Countdown Fund work, including the growth phase, the protection phase and the glidepath to retirement, which apply at different stages of our members’ pension saving journey. |
brochure |
Resource Library - Employer portal management
This section contains everything you need to know about managing your NOW: Pensions employer portal.
Guide to the generic input file (payroll assessing)
Our guide explains how to use and manage the generic input file in our Gateway employer website. Please follow these guidelines if your payroll software determines your auto enrolment outputs. We also assume the following. |
brochure | |
Guide to the generic input file (NOW: Pensions assessing)
This document is only to be used where NOW: Pensions is performing the assessment functions. Within it you will find the information that is to be included in the generic input file when uploading it to the NOW: Pensions employer portal. |
brochure | |
Guide to the generic input file
Our guide explains how to use and manage the generic input file in our Gateway employer website. Please follow these guidelines if your payroll software determines your auto enrolment outputs. We also assume the following. |
brochure | |
Guide to setting up pay periods
Some payroll software providers operate on a tax week/month basis so there may be some work to do at the start of the tax year to ensure submissions from payroll software providers can be accepted by NOW: Pensions. Within this document you will find instructions for creating new pay periods and amending existing pay periods. |
brochure | |
Guide to avoiding data duplications
This document helps identify any potential problematic data to ensure that employee records are not being duplicated and employees are not being paid twice. |
brochure | |
Guide to the generic output file
This document explains the different columns and formatting to be included in the file which is exported from the NOW: Pensions portal. |
brochure | |
Payroll calendar upload template
A template that can be used to bulk upload your payroll timetable. The bulk upload facility allows you to create multiple pay periods in one go. We would suggest that you have a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 12 month’s worth of future pay periods set up at any one time. |
template | |
Guide to common errors and warnings
The Gateway employer website is designed to help you ensure the data is correct before you import it. Once data is committed to the database it can’t be changed. There are clear error messages and warnings which alert you to any potential problems. This guide provides additional information on the errors and warnings that you may see and how to resolve them. Our guide is designed for different clients and different systems, so not all errors will apply to every situation. |
brochure |
Resource Library - Scheme Administration
Employer portal management
Transfering in and out of the scheme
Employee communication
Managing contributions
- How does salary sacrifice work with fluctuating earnings?
- Who is eligible for a short service refund?
- Can an employer change contribution plans midway?
- Can employers make a one off single lump sum contribution?
- How is tax relief applied on contributions?
- What is a Contribution Model Code (for employers and advisers)?
- What parts of an employees salary are included in the contributions?
- Do contributions include overtime pay?
- Are contributions taken before tax and NI?
- Are pension contributions taken before or after tax is calculated?
Opting in
Opting out
Resource Library - Personal data breach
Personal data breach (December 2020)
Resource Library - Setting Up
Definitions
- What are Pensionable Earnings?
- What are AVC’s?
- What is a PSR number?
- What is an EPSR number?
- What is an ER Code?
- What is a Pay Date?
- What is a Pay Period Start Date?
- What is a Processing Date?
- What is a Pay Period?
- What is a Payroll Frequency?
- What is a Pay Code?
- What does Defined Benefit mean?
- What does Defined Contribution mean?
Resource Library - About Auto Enrolment
General information
- How can I make sure my dependants get my pension savings if I die?
- Can I cash in the money in my workplace pension now? I’m not approaching retirement yet.
- How does salary sacrifice work with fluctuating earnings?
- What is automatic enrolment?
- What are work-based pensions?
- What is auto enrolment?
- I’ve missed my auto enrolment duties start date
- What is opting out?
- What’s the difference between net pay and relief at source?
- Declaration of compliance (i.e. register) with The Pensions Regulator
- Complete guide to re-enrolment
- What are my options at retirement?
- Why do we need auto enrolment?
- Why did the government introduce auto enrolment?
- What is an opt-out period?
- Who is eligible to join a workplace pension?
- As a self-employed person in my own company do I have to provide a pension scheme?
- When should I start having auto enrolment conversations with clients?
- Should I be proactive or wait for my clients to raise the topic with me?
- What are the auto enrolment earnings thresholds?
- What happens when an eligible worker has passed their State Pension age?
- What is a Master Trust?
- What does Defined Benefit mean?
- What does Defined Contribution mean?
- What kind of pension schemes are there?
Staging/Duties start date & postponement
Employer responsibilities
- Who is best to carry out the assessment?
- Declaration of compliance (i.e. register) with The Pensions Regulator
- Complete guide to re-enrolment
- Will NOW: Pensions accept late those that have missed their duties start date?
- As a self-employed person in my own company do I have to provide a pension scheme?
- When should I start having auto enrolment conversations with clients?
- Should I be proactive or wait for my clients to raise the topic with me?
- What are the auto enrolment earnings thresholds?
- What happens when an eligible worker has passed their State Pension age?
- What will happen if an employer misses their duties start date?
- What are the minimum auto enrolment contribution rates?
Employer contributions
Employee contributions
Resource Library - About NOW: Pensions
Contact details
About the scheme
- Net pay top up – how it works
- What is the fee if a company terminates the agreement with NOW: Pensions?
- Who is best to carry out the assessment?
- Monthly employer service charge for employers
- Who does the monthly employer service charge apply to?
- Do you accept holding companies with a UK branch?
- Will NOW: Pensions accept late those that have missed their duties start date?
- Are member contributions paid net of basic rate tax?
- Are NOW: Pensions compatible with all payroll software?
- Will NOW: Pensions undertake communications?
- Can you accommodate salary sacrifice?
- Does NOW: Pensions tell members how much they have in their pension?
General information
- Online security
- What should I do if I receive an email that may be fraudulent?
- How do I spot a fraudulent email?
- I received an email asking to pay money across to you, is this genuine?
- What is the fee if a company terminates the agreement with NOW: Pensions?
- Who is NOW: Pensions?
- Is the NOW: Pensions Trust operating within the UK Governance framework?
- Is NOW: Pensions an Independent Financial Adviser?
- What financial backing does NOW: Pensions have?
Resource Library - Your Pension Scheme
Resource Library - Signing Up
Contribution model & charges
- Monthly employer service charge for employers
- Who does the monthly employer service charge apply to?
- Can an employer change contribution plans midway?
- Can employers make a one off single lump sum contribution?
- Are member contributions paid net of basic rate tax?
- How is tax relief applied on contributions?
- What is a Contribution Model Code (for employers and advisers)?
- Can you accommodate salary sacrifice?
- What parts of an employees salary are included in the contributions?
- Do contributions include overtime pay?
- Are contributions taken before tax and NI?
- Are pension contributions taken before or after tax is calculated?