i-Connect makes your employer duties easier and allows you to submit members' monthly CARE pay and contributions. This then automatically updates the year to date totals on our system. You'll also be able to tell the fund of any new starters, part time hours changes, personal details changes and leavers (although a PEN007 form will still need to be completed for leavers).

 

To use i-Connect, enter the information, or submit a file about your employees into the i-Connect application using a web browser. i-Connect then automatically identifies and sends information about new joiners, opt outs and leavers, together with pay and contributions to us.

 

The benefits of i-Connect are that it:

• Reduces employer time and costs
• Addresses auto enrolment obligations
• Reduces the need for paper forms
• Improves scheme governance
• Provides secure transfer of data to us

Some i-Connect user guides are available.

All pension contributions to us must be made no later than the 19th of the month following the month in which they have been deducted.

 

We'll record all late contributions as a breach. Repeated breaches could result in you being reported to The Pensions Regulator. The regulator treats the failure to make payments on time as a serious offence. This could lead to you being heavily fined.

 

The full list of employer responsibilities can be found in the administration strategy statement.

 

Interest will also be due on late payments at a rate of 1% above bank base rate.

When you send the monthly pension contributions to us, you must also make sure that your i-Connect report has been uploaded.

 

Please contact us if you don't have our payment details.

If you've a deficit then you'll have to pay it back monthly. 

 

Your deficit will have been worked out at the actuarial valuation and will increase each financial year.

 

You'll be sent a schedule in February for the forthcoming financial year. This will detail the amount that needs to be paid as an annual amount or by monthly instalments. It will also include information on how to pay.

Prudential will give you a schedule of new entrants each month. You should pay the contributions to Prudential by the 19th of each month, following the deduction from the members’ salary. A schedule should then be e-mailed or sent on a disc in order for the payment to be reconciled.

Please note the maximum contributions that can be made to an AVC facility is 100% of the member’s gross salary (after statutory deductions).

At year end, we'll email a letter and two forms (lgs121a and lgs121b) to the main finance contact in your organisation. As data will have been submitted via i-Connect during the year, month twelve will complete the year to date for contributions, and the pay required. Therefore, a separate return is not needed.

You'll need to return the signed statement (lgs121a). This is the balance of the contributions you have deducted during the year and submitted to us with the payments you've made. You'll also need to sign and return a compliance statement (lgs121b) which gives assurance to us that you're complying with the LGPS regulations.