Benefits to Employees

Pension Scheme Benefits to Accountants

We work with a large and growing number of accountancy practices who tell us that they have three main problem areas relating to auto enrolment pension schemes:

  • Pension scheme selection and set up. What criteria should be used? Is a provider you haven’t heard of a safe bet?
  • Data transfer/uploads. Getting data accurately and reliably from payroll to pension provider proves challenging - particularly when multiple different pension providers are involved, each with different data requirements and log in details. It might be easier if all the clients had the same pension provider but in practice this is highly unlikely!
  • Handling questions from their client’s employees. Who, in your accountancy practice, wants to answer questions on pensions?

We address these issues like this:

  • An independent research report for each client from the Finance & Technology Research Centre in London, backed up with a recommendation on choice of pension scheme – then we set up the scheme and help you set up payroll.
  • We take your outputs from payroll and handle all data transfers – by Application Programming Interface (API), or electronically in other words - where possible.
  • Our helpline, with trained and dedicated staff backed by qualified independent financial advisers – answers questions efficiently and reliably.
Accountant

For accountants that work with us, this means:

  • They enhance their client relationship as trusted adviser.
  • They don’t have the risk of getting involved in pension selection.
  • They can focus time and resource on their core business.
  • We help them win new payroll business from non payroll clients, deepening the relationship with the client.

You could consider the following ways in which we can start to help you help your clients:

  • Joint client meetings - us, you and your client.
  • Client seminars or breakfast briefings – at our expense, at your offices or a local venue – with reduced fees for auto enrolment projects established on the day. This also gives you a platform to present on another topic, if you wish.
  • A joint mail, email or telephone campaign to help get your clients ready.

You can trust us to look after your clients and have confidence that we will enhance your relationship with them.

Cost Modelling

‘We can help employers plan for the cost impact of auto enrolment, both now and in the future. Our cost modelling tool takes into account payroll data along with envisaged opt out rates and legislative increases in contribution levels to give a complete picture. We can also use the cost modelling to illustrate ways we can make our service cost neutral to employers. Contact us now to find out how’.

Employee Support

‘Naturally, employees will have lots of questions about auto enrolment and workplace pensions. Our plain English ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ document is popular with our clients and is issued free of charge at the appropriate time in your project. Telephone and web based support is also included, as time spent finding the answers to employee’s questions can otherwise lead to an impact on work time and productivity’.

Payroll

‘Payroll is a pivotal part of auto enrolment and it is vital to your business that the payroll cycle is not broken due to your workplace pension duties. We will help you make the most of the existing functionality you already have within your payroll software so that payday is business as usual at your company’.

Assess Current Schemes

‘If you have an existing workplace pension, here are two things you might not expect; firstly, it may not be suitable for auto enrolment. Secondly, your existing pension provider may not want to accept your employees who are not currently in the pension. We can assess your existing schemes efficiently and robustly so that you get the best outcome’.