COSR Pensions

Contracting Out

Contracting out was a system where employees gave up their right to additional state pension, firstly in the form or the state earnings related pension scheme (Serps) then from 2002 in the form of the state second pension (S2P) In return workers and their employers paid reduced national insurance.

On 6 April 2016 these rules changed. Employees who were contracted out: 

• are no longer contracted out 
  
  
• must now pay more National Insurance (the standard amount of National Insurance)

Setting up a COSR Pension on BrightPay

To access this utility, click Pensions:

1) Click Add New Scheme followed by Contracted-Out Salary Related Scheme (COSR)

2) Enter the name of the policy and the reference number provided by the pension company

3)  Default Contributions - this is optional. Complete this section if you would like to apply default contributions to an employee who is added to this pension scheme. They can subsequently be changed for each employee as required

4) If applicable, set a range of earnings on which to calculate percentage-based deductions for the scheme

5) Within the Contact and Payment section, enter the contact details of the COSR pension provider

6) Select the method of payment for remitting the pension contributions to the pension provider. If the method of payment is credit transfer, enter the pension provider's bank account details accordingly. 

7) Click Save

Applying the Pension Scheme to an Employee:

To apply the COSR pension to an employee, click Payroll and select the employee:

TO ENTER A PENSION DEDUCTION BY AMOUNT:

1) Under Additions & Deductions click the Add icon

2) Under Deduction, select the COSR pension scheme

3) Select the £ sign from the drop down menu and enter the Employee Contribution

4) Select the £ sign from the drop down menu and enter any Employee Additional Voluntary Contribution, if applicable

5) Select the £ sign from the drop down menu and enter the Employer Contribution, if applicable

TO ENTER A PERCENTAGE-BASED PENSION:


1) Under Additions & Deductions click the Add icon

2) Under Deduction, select the COSR pension scheme

3) Select the % sign from the drop down menu and enter the Employee Contribution percentage amount

4) Select the % sign from the drop down menu and enter any Employee Additional Voluntary Contribution percentage amount, if applicable

5) Select the % sign from the drop down menu and enter the Employer Contribution percentage amount, if applicable