Administration & record-keeping

Record-keeping

The deadline for meeting the common data standards set out in our record-keeping guidance was 31 December 2012. We’re conducting a review with over 200 schemes in early March 2013 to see if the standards are being achieved.

If you're selected, it doesn't necessarily mean we expect there to be problems with your scheme's records. But if we find you haven’t acted in line with your record-keeping duties, we may take enforcement action.

We're also increasing our focus on 'conditional' data - this is additional and more detailed data such as the employing company and the date of a member leaving the scheme. We'll be measuring the standard of this data in our 2013 record-keeping survey.

• Q&As Record-keeping: frequently asked questions about 'common' data (PDF, 74kb, 6 pages)

  Published: September 2012

  Answers to some of the questions that we are most commonly asked by providers and administrators about data standards

• Webinar Webinar: Record-keeping and the common data targets

  Published: September 2012

  This 45 minute webinar provides you with information about where we expect schemes to have taken significant steps to meet the targets set out in our 2010 guidance

• Report Scheme record-keeping (PDF, 880kb)

  A report on the 2012 scheme record-keeping survey - the research shows encouraging progress on scheme data quality, however there is still significantly more for some schemes to do to ensure they maintain accurate records

• Guidance Record-keeping

  This updated guidance describes an approach that we consider to be good practice for measuring the presence of member data items which are important in the administration of a pension scheme

Administration

• Statement Improving administration standards: The Pensions Regulator's expectations (PDF, 95kb, 6 pages)

  Published: March 2011

  A summary of The Pensions Regulator's approach to scheme expectations and its expectations of schemes and the wider industry

• Report Occupational pension scheme governance 2012 (PDF, 345kb, 56 pages)

  Key findings of the sixth annual governance survey,conducted by The Pensions Regulator amongst trust-based DC, DB and hybrid schemes with 12 or more members

• Code of practice Reporting breaches of the law

  The requirement to report is a vital part of the regulatory framework. Whistleblowing reports are a key source of information that we use to fulfil our regulatory responsibilities for work-based pensions.

• Code of practice MNT/MND - putting arrangements in place

  The purpose of this code is to help trustees of occupational pension schemes to put in place and implement arrangements to provide that at least one-third of the trustees are member-nominated trustees

• Code of practice Internal controls

  This code sets out the regulator's expectations of how occupational pension schemes should satisfy the legal requirement to have adequate internal controls in place

• Guidance Conflicts of interest

  This guidance aims to provide educational support for trustees and employers for addressing conflicts of interest. You can read a summary version or the full guidance

• Guidance Lump-sum death benefits

  Trustees may need to know whether lump sum death benefits can be provided from their scheme or whether a separate scheme, which only provides these benefits, should be set up.

• Guidance Relations with advisers

  This best practice guidance sets out some key issues for trustees to consider in their relations with advisers

• Guidance Voluntary employer engagement

  This guidance provides help to employers offering a contract-based pension scheme who choose to involve themselves more closely in monitoring the running of the scheme.

• E-learning Learning resources

  Includes quick and easy bite-sized modules on governance and record-keeping for your clients to use

Automatic enrolment

Pensions reform is on its way and more employers will be looking for advice and support. You will play a key role in helping them to meet their new obligations.

Where they have a scheme already, they will need to think how the reforms apply to it, for example, the joining process and contribution levels. Where they do not have a scheme, they will need to decide what pension scheme or schemes they want to use for auto-enrolment.

We'll be providing a lot more information for you to help employers in the run up to the reforms - sign up for news-by-email and we'll keep you posted.

• Guidance 4. Pension schemes (PDF, 509kb, 35 pages)

  Pension schemes under the new employer duties

• Guidance 9: Keeping records (PDF, 310kb, 11 pages)

  Full details of all the records employers will need to keep in relation to their workers and their pension scheme