Enrolling workers into NEST
In this section
What information do I need to start enrolling workers?
Before your staging date or duty start date, it’s important to check that your workers’ details are up to date. When you enrol a worker, you must provide their:
- title
- first name
- middle name - if applicable
- last name
- date of birth
- gender
- National Insurance number or alternative identifier
- home address
- email address (optional)
When you enter their National Insurance (NI) number, make sure it’s in the correct format. For more information on valid NI number formats, read our 'Employer payroll guide'.
If you don’t have an NI number for a worker, you must provide an alternative identifier instead. If you do have a worker’s National Insurance number, you can choose to add an alternative identifier as well. This may be useful if you use a particular reference for each worker in your existing systems. For example, a payroll or staff reference number.
It’s also important to provide an email address so we can send a welcome email letting them know you’ve enrolled them, as well as their opt-out rights. It also means we can keep in contact with them in the future.
This table shows some examples of how providing incorrect details can impact you and the member.
| Personal details | Common errors | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Mr when it should be Mrs | If you enrol a worker with an incorrect title and gender, they may need to provide evidence to show the correct information before the system can update their details. |
| First name, Middle name, Last name | Misspelt names, or the first name and surname are the wrong way round |
When we get in touch with a worker, it will include incorrect information about them. And when they want to take money out of their pension pot, they’ll need to provide evidence of their identity. If their name doesn’t match the evidence they give us, they’ll have to fix the mistake before they can access their money. |
| Date of birth | Incorrect date, incorrect month, incorrect year |
When a worker sets up their online account, they need to provide their date of birth and Nest ID. If the date of birth they’ve entered doesn’t match the one in our records, they won’t be able to finish setting up. It will also affect if they can opt out online or through our automated telephone service. An incorrect year can also mean we place the member in the wrong Retirement Date Fund. |
| Worker’s National Insurance (NI) number |
An incorrect or missing NI number may mean a worker misses out on tax relief if they qualify for it. If you don’t provide the correct NI number, you’ll need to re-enter the correct one. If a worker doesn’t have their NI number available, it’s your legal responsibility to give it to us within one month of them providing it to you. |
Once you’ve checked you have your worker’s correct personal details, you’ll need to know which group and payment source you’ll use for them. You’ll also need to make sure you have their correct start date(s). For more information on choosing the right start date, please read 'What is the start date and enrolment date?'.
There are 3 ways you can enrol your workers:
- online - by entering their details onto the website
- file upload
- secure file transfer protocol (SFTP)
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