Transfer employees to a new pension scheme or provider

If you are moving employees from one pension provider to another, you can use Import pensions to override existing pension information for multiple employees at once.

Get the most out of Bob

• Move many employees to a new pension scheme in one go, without updating each employee record individually.
• Reduce the risk of manual errors by using the validation screen before submitting changes.
• Keep contribution amounts and units consistent by importing the same values into the new scheme.

Before you begin

• Complete the transfer at the start of a new pay cycle, in the pay period when the new pension scheme takes effect.
• Create the new pension scheme in UK Payroll. To learn more, see Set up a pension scheme.
• Before transferring employees, make sure you have the following:
  • The details you need from your new pension provider to create the scheme, such as the employer reference or employer ID.
  • Confirmation of whether the new scheme uses qualifying earnings (instead of pensionable pay based on full salary).
  • The date the new scheme takes effect, so you can align the change with a new pay cycle.

How to transfer employees to a new pension scheme

1. In UK Payroll, from the left menu, select Employees.
2. From the top right, select Import / Export > Import pensions.
3. Choose one of the following options:
   • Select Download import file to download the template and fill it in.
   • Select I want to input data manually to enter the data directly on-screen.

4. Populate the import file with your employee and pension details.

   Tip: Test the import with a single employee first. Confirm the results before importing multiple employees.

   Required fields

   • Employee ID
   • Pension Provider
   • Employee (EE) Contribution Amount
   • EE Contribution Unit
   • Employer (ER) Contribution Amount
   • ER Contribution Unit

   Note: If you use your own column headings, UK Payroll attempts to match them automatically. Use headings similar to the default ones to improve matching. Review the preview screen before submitting.

5. Upload your completed file, or click Confirm if you’ve entered the data manually.
6. Toggle Show only rows with errors to quickly validate your data. Review and correct any errors at the row or cell level.
7. Click Yes to submit the data.

FAQs

Do I need to mark employees as leavers in the old pension scheme in UK Payroll? 
In UK Payroll, you can move employees to the new pension provider without setting leaver status in the old scheme. If your pension provider requires leaver updates, complete those steps directly in the provider’s portal.

What does “Is eligible for tax relief?” mean, and what should I enter? 
This field indicates whether the employee qualifies for pension tax relief. Populate it with Yes or No, depending on the employee’s eligibility.

What are “qualifying earnings,” and when should I select this option? 
Qualifying earnings is a pension calculation method based on earnings within an HMRC-defined band (rather than the employee’s full salary). Check with your pension provider whether the scheme uses qualifying earnings, then select the option accordingly when setting up the scheme.