Guide
Re-enrolment: your three-year duties
How to manage the three-year re-enrolment cycle for auto-enrolment. Covers calculating your re-enrolment date, assessing opted-out workers, the re-enrolment process, and re-declaring compliance with The Pensions Regulator.
What is re-enrolment?
Every three years, you must re-assess workers who previously opted out of your pension scheme and auto-enrol those who now meet the eligibility criteria. This is a legal requirement even if you believe all opted-out workers will opt out again.
Re-enrolment ensures workers have regular opportunities to save for retirement. Circumstances change — someone who opted out three years ago may now want to join.
Calculate your re-enrolment date
Your re-enrolment date is exactly three years from your duties start date (the date you first employed someone). If your duties started on 1 June 2023, your first re-enrolment date is 1 June 2026.
You can choose to bring your re-enrolment date forward by up to three months, or delay it by up to three months. This flexibility lets you align re-enrolment with your payroll cycle.
Set a reminder: Put a calendar reminder at least six months before your re-enrolment date. This gives you time to prepare and communicate with staff.
Who to re-enrol
You must re-assess and re-enrol workers who:
- Opted out of the scheme within the one-month opt-out window
- Left the scheme voluntarily (ceased membership) after the opt-out window
- Were enrolled by you but contributions have stopped
You do not need to re-enrol workers who are still active members of the scheme. Only assess those who left or opted out.
Re-declaration of compliance
After completing re-enrolment, you must submit a re-declaration of compliance to The Pensions Regulator. The process is the same as the original declaration — complete it online within five months of your re-enrolment date.
You must re-declare even if no one was re-enrolled (for example, if all previously opted-out workers are now below the earnings threshold or above State Pension age).