You're not locked into your pension provider. Switching is simpler than most employers realise — and the right new provider makes the process straightforward.
Yes. There is no lock-in with any UK workplace pension mastertrust. You can switch at any time — whether you've been with your current provider for six months or six years.
Switching does not affect your auto-enrolment compliance record. Your legal duty is simply to have a qualifying scheme in place and make the required contributions — it doesn't specify which provider.
Existing employee pension pots stay where they are. Members can transfer individually if they wish, but your new scheme simply becomes the one into which future contributions are paid.
Talk to us about switchingThese are the situations we most often see when a small employer decides it's time to move.
Bad customer service, a clunky portal, or payroll integration that doesn't work properly. Any of these is a legitimate reason to switch.
Moving payroll software is a natural trigger for reviewing your pension provider. A clean break with both at once is often the simplest approach.
Took over a business, or a previous employer set something up without proper documentation? Starting fresh on a well-structured scheme is often cleaner than untangling what's there.
Staff who can't access their account, understand their contributions, or get help from the provider. A better member experience reduces the HR burden on you.
Many businesses ended up on Nest because it was the path of least resistance when auto-enrolment launched. That doesn't mean it's still the right choice.
Charge increases, platform migrations, or service changes that affect your business are all valid reasons to review your options.
The process is more straightforward than most employers expect. Here's what happens.
A short conversation — by phone or email — is all we need to understand your current setup. We'll ask about your payroll provider, how many employees you have, and what's prompting the switch.
We handle the setup end-to-end — getting your new employer scheme established, confirming the payroll integration is working correctly, and walking through the process with you.
You let your existing provider know you're closing the scheme. We'll advise on timing to avoid any gaps in contribution obligations. For most providers, you give notice and set a closing date aligned with a payroll cut-off.
You must inform your employees of the provider change — your new provider supplies template communications to make this easy. Employees keep their existing pension pots with the old provider; only future contributions move.
With the payroll integration in place, your first contribution run goes through smoothly. We stay available through this first cycle to deal with any questions. After that, your new provider's support team takes over.
Allow four to eight weeks from the initial conversation to your first contribution running on the new provider. The timeline depends on your payroll cycle and how quickly your current provider processes the closure.
No. Existing pension pots stay with the old provider. Members can choose to consolidate their pot into the new scheme at any point, but they're not required to — and you as employer have no obligation to manage that process.
Yes — employees need to be enrolled into the new scheme. For employees who were already enrolled with your previous provider, this is typically a straightforward process and your new provider handles the mechanics. We walk you through it.
The main risk is a gap in contributions — a pay period where contributions weren't made to either provider. We specifically manage the timing of the switch to avoid this. Provided contributions are made continuously, your TPR compliance record is unaffected.
We charge a small per-employee fee for our service. The initial consultation is free with no obligation. We'll be transparent about our fee before you commit to anything.