Help Centre for Payroll bureaux
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 includes logging in for the first time, creating additional users for the site, verifying client’s details, setting up client’s payroll details, importing client data, retrieving opt in and opt out data and viewing, amending employee Data and much more.
Resource Library - Reports & white papers
This section contains an interesting collection of policy findings, reports and white papers.
Pensions Policy Institute report into automatic enrolment changes
This report, published by the Pensions Policy Institute, commissioned by NOW: Pensions, examines the impact of removing the auto enrolment trigger and the “qualifying earnings” bands. |
reports | |
Caveat venditor – The brave new world of auto enrolment | whitepapers | |
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 | |
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 | |
Why NOW: Pensions for payroll bureaux
Our straightforward administration and a comprehensive package of support will help you set up and manage new schemes quickly and effectively. Find out all the great reasons to work with NOW: Pensions. |
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 | |
NOW: Pensions payroll bureau proposition
This document gives a short introduction into who we are and what we haver to offer. It provides Information around getting started with auto enrolment, working in partnership with NOW: Pensions, and the costs associated. |
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 | |
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 |
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.
Auto enrolment staging date calendar
This is a poster outlining the auto enrolment staging dates for 2017/18. Useful to display in the office as a reminder of when your clients will be staging. |
poster | |
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 | |
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 | |
For payroll bureaux: Guide to signing up clients
This document includes all you need to know about signing up your clients with NOW: Pensions. Registration, signing clients up online, contribution models and information about the NOW: Pensions microsite used for managing the pension scheme. |
brochure | |
Payroll bureau template: Letter for existing clients
A template that payroll bureaux can use to send to their clients informing them about the details of working with NOW: Pensions as a chosen auto enrolment pension provider. |
template | |
For payroll bureaux: Offering your clients a managed solution
A one page document which explains the managed auto enrolment solution and the key points to consider when making this offer to clients. |
brochure | |
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 |
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 | |
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 |
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 - Bureau microsite management
This section includes logging in for the first time, creating additional users for the site, verifying client’s details, setting up client’s payroll details, importing client data, retrieving opt in and opt out data and viewing, amending employee Data and much more.
Guide to the generic input file (payroll assessing)
This document is to be used where payroll is undertaking the assessement and is to be used to help you identify the information that should be included on the generic input file including the specific format required for each column so that it can easily be uploaded into the NOW: Pensions portal. |
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 (voluntary scheme)
This document is for those who have selected a voluntary scheme. It is to be used where payroll is undertaking the assessement but the file being used has no headers. It is to be used to help you identify the information that should be included on the generic input file including the specific format required for each column so that it can easily be uploaded into the NOW: Pensions portal. |
brochure | |
Keep it clean: The dangers of dirty data
This document will help you understand the importance of keeping data clean and how you might overcome data discrepancies. |
brochure | |
Guide to setting up and using your payroll bureau microsite
A practical document guiding payroll bureaux through the initial set up of their microsite and includes: logging in for the first time, creating additional users for the site, verifying client’s details, setting up client’s payroll details, importing client data, retrieving opt in and opt out data and viewing and amending employee Data. |
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
This guide highlights some of the most frequent errors (in no particular order) encountered when uploading payroll files in the NOW: Pensions portal and provides guidance to overcome these issues should they arise. |
brochure |
Resource Library - Scheme Administration
Employer portal management
- Why is there a pay period 53 and what do I need to do?
- How to open CSV files correctly
- Net pay top up – how it works
- I’ve received an email about unusual / fluctuating pension contributions. What’s it about and what should I do?
- NOW: Pensions’ file formats explained (Employer Portal) (Bureau Microsite)
- Setting up pay periods
- Setting up pay periods manually
- When should I upload my first payroll file?
- I have validation issues with payroll configuration
- Payroll software set up
- How to export data from Pegasus Opera 3
- Using Moneysoft payroll software with NOW: Pensions
- Should I leave any sections blank when uploading a CSV file for voluntary schemes?
- Will the contributions shown in the CSV file always be the amount that is collected?
- What Direct Debit details do I need to fill in if I want to add a new payroll?
- Using Sage payroll software with NOW: Pensions
- How do I amend data within the payroll file?
Bureau microsite management
Transfering in and out of the scheme
Employee communication
- A guide to PDF communications for Payroll Bureaux
- Complete guide to statutory communications for payroll bureaux
- I don’t have email addresses for my clients’ employees (Bureau Microsite)
- Your pension’s key features
- When will employees start receiving communication from NOW: Pensions?
- Can partners use the same email address to receive auto enrolment communications?
- Does NOW: Pensions send out statutory auto enrolment communication prior to the staging/duties start date?
- Does NOW: Pensions tell members how much they have in their pension?
Managing contributions
- How does salary sacrifice work with fluctuating earnings?
- Complete guide to Direct Debits
- How do I avoid mistakenly sending contributions across to NOW: Pensions on a “year to date” basis?
- When would I need to send contributions across to NOW: Pensions on a “year to date” basis?
- How would I know if I’ve sent contributions across to NOW: Pensions on a “year to date” basis?
- I’m a Sage user and I’ve sent contributions across to NOW: Pensions on a “year to date” basis in error, what should I do?
- I need to set up a new Direct Debit Mandate. How do I do this?
- How do I reconcile or see a breakdown of Direct Debit contributions?
- What do I do if I have calculated the incorrect tax relief on employee pension contributions?
- Who is eligible for a short service refund?
- Will the contributions shown in the CSV file always be the amount that is collected?
- How are employee contributions collected?
- How do I change bank details for pension contributions?
- Can an employer change contribution plans midway?
- Can employers make a one off single lump sum contribution?
- How can you ensure the correct contributions are being collected?
- How is tax relief applied on contributions?
- Direct Debit collection doesn’t match what was submitted
- Can an individual employee change their contributions?
- What do I do if I’ve under paid contributions?
- What parts of an employees salary are included in the contributions?
- Do contributions include overtime pay?
- Are contributions taken before tax and NI?
- What’s salary sacrifice?
- Are pension contributions taken before or after tax is calculated?
- When do contributions need to be paid?
Opting in
Opting out
- What is opting out?
- Who is eligible for a short service refund?
- What happens to an employee’s pension if they leave the company?
- What is an opt-out period?
- How can an employee opt back in?
- What happens to member details when they opt out?
- Can an employee be refunded before their opt out request has been processed?
- Are there any time constraints for an employee to opt back in after they’ve already opted out?
- Who processes and pays opt out refunds to the individual and the employer?
Resource Library - Personal data breach
Personal data breach (December 2020)
Resource Library - Setting Up
Bureau microsite management
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?
Employer portal set up
- A guide to PDF communications for Payroll Bureaux
- Setting up your NOW: Pensions employer portal
- Full implementation guide (Voluntary Scheme)
- Full implementation guide (NOW Assessing)
- Full implementation guide (Employer Assessing)
- NOW: Pensions’ file formats explained (Employer Portal) (Bureau Microsite)
- Setting up pay periods
- Setting up pay periods manually
- How to upload data into the employer portal
- I need to set up a new Direct Debit Mandate. How do I do this?
- When should I upload my first payroll file?
- Payroll software set up
- How to export data from Pegasus Opera 3
- Using Moneysoft payroll software with NOW: Pensions
- Do you offer any training for employers to help them manage their portals?
- Do you offer any training for the payroll bureaux to help them manage the portal?
- Should I leave any sections blank when uploading a CSV file for voluntary schemes?
- Is it possible to create the CSV file manually if my payroll software isn’t compatible?
- Will the contributions shown in the CSV file always be the amount that is collected?
- How long after payroll processing date should I submit the file upload?
- How do I avoid employee duplicate records? (Employer Portal)
- How do I prevent mistakes and missing data in my payroll file (file validation)?
- Using Sage payroll software with NOW: Pensions
- Setting up pay periods
- My client has several different payrolls, do we need to set up a scheme for each?
- What file type do I need to use?
- I need help uploading my payroll file: instructions for Sage, Pegasus and Moneysoft
Bureau microsite set up
Employee communication
- Complete guide to statutory communications for payroll bureaux
- I don’t have email addresses for my clients’ employees (Bureau Microsite)
- When will employees start receiving communication from NOW: Pensions?
- Can partners use the same email address to receive auto enrolment communications?
- Does NOW: Pensions tell members how much they have in their pension?
Employer portal management
- How to open CSV files correctly
- Full implementation guide (Voluntary Scheme)
- Full implementation guide (NOW Assessing)
- Full implementation guide (Employer Assessing)
- NOW: Pensions’ file formats explained (Employer Portal) (Bureau Microsite)
- Setting up pay periods
- Setting up pay periods manually
- How to upload data into the employer portal
- I have validation issues with payroll configuration
- Do you offer any training for employers to help them manage their portals?
- Do you offer any training for the payroll bureaux to help them manage the portal?
- Should I leave any sections blank when uploading a CSV file for voluntary schemes?
- Is it possible to create the CSV file manually if my payroll software isn’t compatible?
- How long after payroll processing date should I submit the file upload?
- How do I avoid employee duplicate records? (Employer Portal)
- How do I prevent mistakes and missing data in my payroll file (file validation)?
- Using Sage payroll software with NOW: Pensions
- Setting up pay periods
- My client has several different payrolls, do we need to set up a scheme for each?
- How do I amend data within the payroll file?
- What file type do I need to use?
- I need help uploading my payroll file: instructions for Sage, Pegasus and Moneysoft
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 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’s salary sacrifice?
- 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?
- What happens if a business does not comply with auto enrolment?
Key Information
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 payroll bureaux
- 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
- I’ve received an email about unusual / fluctuating pension contributions. What’s it about and what should I do?
- 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?
Business support and finance during the Coronavirus
- Is Statutory Sick Pay included as part of qualifying earnings for the purposes of a workplace pension?
- Deferring income tax for the self-employed until 2021
- Is the government deferring VAT for businesses?
- What is the Covid-19 Corporate Financing Facility?
- What is the Statutory Sick Pay rebate?
- Is there a business rates holiday for nurseries?
- Is there a business rates holiday for the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors?
- What financial support is the government providing for business?
Resource Library - Sign Up & Implementation
Definitions
Resource Library - Your Pension Scheme
Employee communications
Resource Library - Signing Up
Contribution model & charges
- Monthly employer service charge for payroll bureaux
- Monthly employer service charge for employers
- Who does the monthly employer service charge apply to?
- How are employee contributions collected?
- Can an employer change contribution plans midway?
- Can employers make a one off single lump sum contribution?
- What is a Contribution Model Code (for payroll bureaux) (Bureau Microsite)
- Are member contributions paid net of basic rate tax?
- How is tax relief applied on contributions?
- 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?