Getting onto employer's stakeholder books

Milarky

My new employer offers a stakeholder pension with matching 5% contribution. They sent me the requisite sales brochure on joining. I returned this proto ticking the box which says (in effect) "Interested - send more info." That was three months ago and there has been no further feedback. Four weeks ago I forwarded a note to the effect: "What has happened? I request that you enroll me in your stakeholder scheme and deduct the matching 5% of my pensionable pay back to when I joined."

Looking at the advice to employers on this provided by the Pension Service it doesn't really go into any detail about how quickly they need to reply. For instance it says:

Employees who do not meet the conditions to have access to a stakeholder pension scheme (page4):

You do not have to provide access to a stakeholder pension scheme for any employee:

who has worked for you for less than three months in a row;

Which clearly applies to individual 'new starters'. But then after the three months is gone, what then?

Deductions from employees’ pay (page10):

When an employee asks you to make payroll deductions, you must tell them in writing (within two weeks of them asking) how you plan to run the payroll deduction system. Your explanation should cover:

• how the employee can ask for a change in contribution (for example, whether it should be in writing or by phone to a particular person);

• how often you will accept changes (this must be at least every six months but you can agree to make changes more often if you want);
• how the employee can ask for their contributions to stop at any time; and

• your agreement to the employee’s change in contributions being made no later than the pay period after the one in which they made their request.

So it seems as though they generally have three months to enroll you onto an existing scheme and that thereafter they must give you relevent information about your contining deductions from pay (etc) within a fortnight of any such request(s). But what this does not seem to cover is my situation of not yet being enrolled but merely wishing to be. Now that we have reached the three months stage I could remind them of their obligation, and also give them a further two weeks to confirm the details of my request (by resubmitting it). I assume that by then they would have to take deductions 'straightaway' for the next pay cycle and pass these onto their Stakeholder scheme manager with all the rest. My membership and holdings (etc) could be confirmed by the manager writing to me subsequently? (For instance, I'd need to select a investment route since there is a choice available, but you wouldn't speak to your emplyer about that would you?)

Any advice, information or suggestions on this would be gratefully received. Obviously once it is actually up and running that's that!

EdInvestor

Perhaps you could gently prod the HR department by ringing them up, telling them you're looking forward to joining the pension scheme and asking if the firm pays for any free advice from an IFA for new entrants - and also who the scheme is with.

It seems quite possible that your note has just been filed in someone's In- basket (who has since perhaps eg gone on maternity leave)and forgotten, rather than that you are being deliberately given the brush off.

Milarky

I'm inclined to agree. They know the 'rules' require them to make this facility available - and they even create one or two posts around the administration of it alone, I'd guess. Those busy bees are just sat there waiting for my phone call!