The body which represents people throughout the UK who work in payroll and pensions has recruited Hull-based Golding Computer Services to help with an online tool aimed at preparing for auto enrolment.

The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) launched the service this month, four months ahead of a New Year trigger which will see auto enrolment adopted by more than half a million small and micro businesses during 2016.

Auto enrolment legislation was introduced in 2013 and means all employers must automatically enrol all staff into a pension scheme and make contributions to that scheme unless employees opt out. Penalties for failing to comply start at £400.

Dave Wheeler, the CIPP’s project consultant, said: “Auto enrolment has been one of the biggest talking points in business in recent years but the staging process so far has merely scratched the surface in terms of numbers of employers coming on board.

“The Pensions Regulator has been processing businesses with more than 50 employees and figures have been relatively low, with a peak of 17,100 employers registering during the quarter from April 1 this year.

“But next year numbers will rocket, with 110,000 employers required to implement the scheme from January 1 until March 31, and 512,000 businesses to join during the whole of 2016.”

More than 660,000 will reach their auto enrolment staging dates during 2017, and they will be followed by the new businesses which have been set up during the roll-out period.

The investment by the CIPP will add the online resource to the programme of courses which is already being delivered. It will enable employers to establish the extent of their involvement with automatic enrolment and, if appropriate, give them practical advice on each of the 11 stages in the process.

Goldings  is using its distance learning expertise to provide the CIPP’s “Automatic Enrolment Specialist Course” and the companion “Automatic Enrolment Technical Specialist Course”.

On successful completion of either of the CIPP courses the advisors and accountants will receive a certificate to reassure employers who are looking for help and support with their automatic enrolment duties.

Vic Golding, Managing Director of Goldings, said: “The specialist course will use slides and a voiceover to show an audience from business owners to their accountants and consultants the latest high level thinking about auto enrolment. The technical specialist course will cover the opportunities offered by technology.

“It is aimed at the payroll personnel who will be in the front line of introducing auto enrolment to their business, and it covers the hot topic of in the cloud computing and the use of computers for recording purposes, enabling users to ensure they are working in line with the recommendations of HMRC and The Pensions Regulator.”

For details of the CIPP  courses and Goldings’ new “in the cloud” Sage One software service contact Di Garbera at Golding Computer Services on Hull (01482) 328706, email di@gcs-limited.com or visit: www.gcs-limited.com