Most small employers remember the rush of staging their first workplace pension. What far fewer remember is that auto-enrolment did not end there. Roughly every three years, you have to do a slimmed-down version all over again — it is called re-enrolment, and missing it is one of the easier ways to land a notice from The Pensions Regulator without ever meaning to break the rules.
The good news is that re-enrolment is usually less work than your original setup, and entirely manageable if you know what is coming. This guide walks through the three-yearly cycle, who has to go back into the scheme, the all-important re-declaration of compliance, the deadlines, and a clear step-by-step for getting it done.
This article is general information for UK small employers, not legal or financial advice. Rules, thresholds and dates change. Always confirm your specific duties on the GOV.UK and The Pensions Regulator websites, or with a qualified adviser, before acting.
What re-enrolment actually is
When you first set up auto-enrolment, certain staff who opted out, left the scheme, or reduced their contributions made an active choice not to save. Re-enrolment exists because the government wants people nudged back towards pension saving periodically, in case their circumstances — or their minds — have changed.
So every three years you must put certain eligible staff back into your pension scheme, even if they previously opted out. They can opt out again if they wish, but you have to give them the chance afresh. It is the same principle as the original duty, applied on a rolling cycle, and it sits alongside your day-to-day payroll obligations covered in our guide to PAYE and payroll basics for small employers.
The three-yearly cycle and your re-enrolment date
Your cycle is anchored to your original staging or duties start date. The re-enrolment date falls roughly three years on, but you are given some flexibility: you can choose a re-enrolment date within a window that runs from three months before to three months after the third anniversary. You pick a single date within that window and assess your staff as at that date.
Re-enrolment is not optional and it does not remind you. The responsibility to act on time sits entirely with the employer.
Choosing your date sensibly matters. Many employers align it with the start of a pay period or quarter to make the payroll changes cleaner. What you cannot do is ignore the window and hope it passes — the duty stands whether or not you act.
Who must be re-enrolled
You do not re-enrol everyone. On your chosen re-enrolment date, you assess staff who are not already active members of the scheme and work out who is eligible. Broadly, you must re-enrol staff who:
- previously opted out or ceased active membership, and
- meet the age criteria (typically between 22 and State Pension age), and
- earn above the current earnings trigger for automatic enrolment.
There are nuances. Staff who opted out very recently — usually within the 12 months before your re-enrolment date — can be left out at your discretion. Certain other groups, such as those who have given notice or recently received a winding-up lump sum, may also be excluded. Always check the current age bands and the earnings trigger figure on GOV.UK rather than relying on memory, because these thresholds are reviewed regularly. If you are still getting to grips with the underlying duties, our explainer on auto-enrolment for small businesses sets out the foundations re-enrolment builds on.
The re-declaration of compliance
Here is the part that catches people out. Even if you assess your staff and find that nobody needs to be re-enrolled, you still have to tell The Pensions Regulator what you did. This is the re-declaration of compliance, and it is a legal requirement in its own right.
The re-declaration is an online form confirming how you have met your re-enrolment duties. It must be submitted within five months of the third anniversary of your original staging date — note that this deadline is tied to the anniversary, not to whichever re-enrolment date you chose within your window. Miss the re-declaration and you can face enforcement action even if your pension scheme itself is running perfectly. Treat it as the real finish line.
A step-by-step for small employers
Done in order, the whole process is straightforward:
- Find your dates. Note your original staging date, work out the three-year anniversary, and choose a re-enrolment date within the six-month window around it.
- Assess your staff. On that date, identify who previously opted out or left and now meets the age and earnings criteria.
- Re-enrol the eligible. Put them back into your qualifying scheme and start deducting contributions through payroll.
- Write to those affected. You must tell each re-enrolled person, in writing, within six weeks of the re-enrolment date, explaining what has happened and how they can opt out again.
- Process any opt-outs. Refund contributions for valid opt-outs within the required period.
- Submit the re-declaration of compliance. File it online before the five-month deadline — this step is mandatory whether or not anyone was re-enrolled.
If you run payroll yourself, build these tasks into a checklist now rather than scrambling near the deadline. Many of the same controls that keep you compliant on pay — like staying on top of the National Minimum and Living Wage — will flag pension eligibility too, since both turn on earnings.
Common mistakes to avoid
The classic slip is assuming re-enrolment is automatic because the pension scheme keeps running — it is not, you have to actively assess and act. The second is forgetting the re-declaration entirely, especially when no one needed re-enrolling. The third is mistiming the letters to staff, which have their own six-week deadline. And the fourth is leaving it to a payroll provider without checking they have actually done it; the legal duty remains yours as the employer, whoever presses the buttons.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to re-enrol staff if nobody opted out?
If there is genuinely nobody who previously opted out or left and now meets the criteria, you will not re-enrol anyone — but you must still complete the re-declaration of compliance to confirm that to The Pensions Regulator. The re-declaration is required regardless of the outcome.
Can employees opt out again straight after re-enrolment?
Yes. Re-enrolment simply gives them a fresh opportunity to save. If they opt out within the valid opt-out period, you refund any contributions deducted, and they are out again — until the next three-yearly cycle gives them another chance.
What happens if I miss my re-enrolment or re-declaration deadline?
The Pensions Regulator can take enforcement action, including statutory notices and fixed or escalating penalties. If you realise you are late, act immediately, complete the outstanding duties, and contact the Regulator — engaging early is viewed far more favourably than waiting to be chased.
Staying on top of duties like this is exactly the kind of admin that quietly grows as your business takes on more work and bigger contracts. To keep an eye on opportunities while the back office ticks over, you can search live UK public-sector tenders, and our plain-English newsletter rounds up the deadlines and rule changes that affect small employers. You can also read more about how Tendarix supports growing SMEs.
