Auto Enrolment templates

mutley

As auto enrolment is fast approaching for most small employers, and many of our clients will be relying on us to guide them through the process, I was rather hoping that the AAT might have provided us with letter templates to adapt and send to them, making them aware of their obligations to their employees. Boy was I wrong! When I contacted the MIP section to ask them if such a thing existed, I was advised that I might like to adapt a Letter of Engagement template! This process is fraught enough, and I don't think it's a lot to ask for the AAT to realise that something as significant as auto enrolment will cause many of us problems, so a bit of forethought wouldn't have gone amiss!! Is anyone else feeling my pain??!!

Gem7321

mutley said:

Is anyone else feeling my pain??!!

No.

I don't think it's difficult to write a generic, simple letter advising clients that they will be required to auto-enrol employees (you could even put their staging date in) and more information can be found at http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/ and they should contact you if they wish to discuss or have any queries.

TPR will be writing to your clients as well in due course.

StuartW

More useful links around pensions auto-enrolment:

• Bookkeepers.org: Auto-enrolment and my clients
  
• Standard Life: auto-enrolment adviser checklist
  
• Aviva: auto-enrolment support for advisers (PDF)
  

mutley

The point I am trying to make has been perfectly highlighted by StuartW's useful links (thanks Stuart!); the Bookkeepers.org have been proactive in advising their members of their likely roles and client expectations, whereas it seems to have totally passed the AAT by!
& whilst Gem7321's approach may work, I have the distinct feeling that, unless it is hammered home to clients of their obligations and the penalties for failing to meet these, there will inevitably be a lot of clients who leave everything to the last minute and expect us to pick up the pieces! I had simply hoped that the AAT might have pre-empted a heavy emphasis on us MIPs to be at the forefront of this, and offered a little more support.

Gem7321

I have attended two AAT branch events on auto-enrolment. The support is there if you want it but I don't think AAT should be expected to be hand-holding.

http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/professionals/help-clients-prepare-for-auto-enrolment.aspx

Londina

mutley said:

the Bookkeepers.org have been proactive in advising their members of their likely roles and client expectations, whereas it seems to have totally passed the AAT by!

totally agree, considering that the AAT MIP memberships are not free!

StuartW

This thread may be of interest: Auto-enrolment letter templates and information update