When will AE apply to you? (Staging Date)

When will AE apply to you?

The date your employer duties first apply is known as your staging date and it’s based on the number of people in your largest Pay As You Earn (PAYE) scheme on 1 April 2012.

If you don’t already offer workers a workplace pension scheme, you must set one up before your business’ staging date. To find your staging date simply click on this link to The Pension Regulator Staging Date Tool

All you need is your employer PAYE reference.

All employers are required to register with the regulator within five months of their staging date, even if they have no employer duties for their staff.

If you don’t already offer workers a workplace pension scheme, you must set one up before your business’ staging date.
If you already have a workplace pension scheme, check if you can use it for automatic enrolment; The Pension Regulator - Pension Scheme Requirements Guidance

Postponement

You can use postponement to defer the assessment of workers and your employer duties. The postponement period can’t be more than three months.

The end of the postponement period is known as the deferral date and you must assess workers on this date.

What you must do if postponement is used 

An employer can only postpone automatic enrolment from:

• their staging date
  
  
• a staff member’s first day of employment
  
  
• the date a staff member first becomes eligible for automatic enrolment
  
  

If postponement is used, workers must be provided with a postponement notice. This must be issued to a worker within six weeks of the date postponement starts.