Pensions Regulator cracks down on failing employers

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) announced last week it would be cracking down on employers it suspects of providing misleading information on their automatic enrolment duties through a series of spot checks. The pensions watchdog intends to conduct around 100 checks on employers a month. In particular, it will be on the lookout for incidences where two sources of data do not match or seem inconsistent – for example, an employer reporting that 20 staff members are enrolled but PAYE filings revealing it has 50 employees.

Although the vast majority of employers meet their pensions responsibilities, TPR will be using the full range of its powers “to ensure staff get the pensions they are due”.

It is an offence for employers to provide TPR with false information on their declaration of compliance, but there are tell-tale signs indicating an employer might not be telling the truth. The Regulator can also detect employers who are failing to meet their automatic enrolment duties despite being issued with a penalty, and the Regulator will take action if they suspect that irregularities exist.

In May, TPR reported that it received more than 80 calls every week from people who suspected their employers were not complying with workplace pension laws.