Auto enrolment
The legislation around workplace pensions has changed. Employers are required to put individuals who meet certain criteria into a workplace pension scheme and to contribute towards it. This is called automatic enrolment.
As a fee earner with Qualifications Scotland, if you are aged over 22 and under state pension age, and your earnings exceed the monthly trigger for automatic enrolment, you will automatically be enrolled into NEST.
You will receive a letter from Qualifications Scotland to say you have been automatically enrolled. This will include details of the opt-out process. You also receive a Welcome Pack from NEST (separately) which will include a NEST ID number. You need this ID number to opt out.
Please note that if you have been automatically enrolled, your pension contribution will already have been deducted from your payment. If you decide to opt out of NEST, you will receive a refund of your contributions in the following month, provided that you opt out within the time period as specified by NEST in the documentation they send you.
If you require any further information on the above, please contact Appointee management
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The pay date is 15th of the month.
The Pensions Regulator website provides details of automatic enrolment earnings thresholds.
Automatic enrolment will be based on age and earnings criteria with each employer an individual carries out work for, if they are classed as a worker under the terms of the automatic enrolment legislation. The definition of worker under the new legislation includes individuals who have a contract with Qualifications Scotland as a fee earner, for example appointees.
The National Employment Savings Trust (NEST). NEST has been set up by the UK Government specifically for automatic enrolment.
NEST Corporation is the organisation that runs the Scheme. It reports to parliament through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). NEST Corporation is a trust which means it is run on a not-for-profit basis and doesn't have shareholders.
Questions on the Pension Scheme should be directed to the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST).
You do have the right to opt out. However, you cannot opt out before you have been automatically enrolled. If you are automatically enrolled, you will receive a letter from Qualifications Scotland advising you of this, which will include details of the opt out process. You will also receive a welcome pack from NEST, which will include a NEST ID number. You will need this number to opt out. You can opt out either online, by telephone, or by requesting a paper copy of the opt-out form to complete and return.
If you choose to opt out, please note that you will automatically be re-enrolled back into the pension scheme every three years from the date automatic enrolment first applied to Qualifications Scotland if you meet the relevant criteria at that time.
Yes. If you complete the opt-out process within the relevant timescales specified by NEST (termed 'opt-out window') when they send you the joining information. If you complete this process within the specified timescales you will be removed from the pension scheme. Any payments you have already made will be refunded.
If you want to stop making payments after the opt-out window has closed, you can still do so at any time. The payments you have made already will not be refunded but will be held within your retirement pot with NEST.
The legislation requires Qualifications Scotland to assess and automatically enrol workers who meet the qualifying earnings criteria in any pay period, regardless of how many times your earnings may reach this level in a year. Once you have been automatically enrolled, you will remain a member of the Scheme unless, after careful consideration, you choose to opt out.
Contributions are as outlined below:
| Qualifications Scotland | Your contribution | Tax relief | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From 6/4/2026 | 3% | 4% | 1% |
Yes if you are eligible for tax relief.
Is tax relief given through payroll?
No. Tax relief is given through the pension provider - NEST.
Yes, you can choose to opt in to NEST if you wish to do so (subject, of course, to meeting the normal requirements for being eligible for membership of the scheme). To do so, contact payroll. If it is sent by email, it must include a statement that you personally submitted the notice to join NEST
Yes. If you are a non-eligible job holder and have opted into the scheme rather than being automatically enrolled, Qualifications Scotland will make a contribution to the scheme.
Under the legislation, all workers will fall into one of three categories as follows:
| Worker Type | Criteria | Employer requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible jobholder | Aged between 22 and under state pension age with earnings of more than the earnings trigger for automatic enrolment (£833* per month) | Automatically enrol Employer contribution required |
| Non-eligible jobholder | Aged 16 and under 75 with earnings of £490* or more per month but less than or equal to £833* per month OR Aged between 16 and under age 22 or between state pension age and under 75 with earnings of more than £833* per month |
Enrol on request Employer contribution required |
| Entitled worker | Aged between 16 and 75 with earnings of less than £486* per month | Enrol on request No employer contribution |
*These figures are the 2017-18 qualifying earnings limits and are subject to change each April.
As a result, if you fall into the non-eligible jobholder category and opt into NEST, Qualifications Scotland will make a contribution. If you fall into the entitled worker category, Qualifications Scotland will not make a contribution.
Yes. You can choose to do this once in any 12 month period.
It is possible to get an idea of how much you will get from this pension by getting a 'pension estimate'. You can get this directly from NEST.
This is a completely separate piece of legislation and an individual is assessed on the criteria set out by automatic enrolment and is not linked to criteria for individual tax status.