The People's Pension integration guide
Overview
ABBPay can connect to The People's Pension so that each pay run's contributions are checked, submitted and tracked for you. You can also work in manual mode and upload files yourself.
This guide is for UK employers who use The People's Pension for auto-enrolment.
Before you start
- You have access to Payroll > Pensions.
- The People's Pension is available to your company. If you do not see it as an option, contact support.
- You have your People's Pension login. For manual mode, you need your account ID and company name.
- Employee records are complete: title, gender, date of birth, start date and a full address.
Connecting
Go to Payroll > Pensions > Pension Schemes > Add Scheme and choose The People's Pension.
- Direct connection. Sign in with The People's Pension, pick your account (you can change it later), then sync the account's worker groups.
- Manual mode. Enter the account ID and company name, then export CSV or Excel files for upload.
Pension groups
Each ABBPay pension group is linked to one People's Pension worker group. Groups show Linked or No Worker Group Linked.
When you sync, the account's tax basis and each worker group's earnings basis set up the matching calculation in ABBPay:
- A "Net" tax basis becomes relief at source.
- A "Gross" tax basis becomes net pay arrangement.
- Salary sacrifice is never assumed. If you use it, choose it yourself on the group.
Assessing and enrolling employees
ABBPay assesses employees every morning and enrols eligible jobholders into your default group. You can also use the Pension tab on any employee to Auto Enrol, Postpone, Offer Opt-In, Offer to Join, Re-enrol or Opt Out. Each employee must be in exactly one linked worker group. Postponement and re-enrolment are described in Pension providers overview.
How contributions are calculated
Contributions follow the group's contribution type, rates and earnings basis, with the right tax treatment, and every pay run checks the statutory minimums.
After each pay run
- Complete the pay run. ABBPay submits one contribution file per pay period, automatically. You can also select Submit via API on the export screen.
- The submission includes every scheme member, with zero rows where nothing is due, so The People's Pension does not treat anyone as a leaver.
- Open the pay run's Pension Contributions page and watch the status. ABBPay keeps checking with the provider until the submission reaches a final state, and attaches any errors to the employee rows they relate to.
Checks before sending
If anything is wrong, ABBPay blocks the whole submission and gives a reason for each employee. Common reasons:
- missing gender, title, start date or auto-enrolment date
- address too short
- age under 12, or contributions for someone aged 75 or over
- duplicate National Insurance numbers or member IDs
- negative amounts
- an employee in more than one worker group, or in none
- an impossible auto-enrolment date
- a former member who no longer appears in any group
Fix the records, then resubmit.
Resubmitting and editing pay runs
A failed or blocked submission can be resubmitted from the pay run's pension page. A period the provider already holds is never sent twice. If a status check failed, ABBPay checks again instead of sending again.
If you edit a completed pay run, ABBPay does not re-send automatically. It marks the rows whose figures changed as adjustment required, and you make the correction with The People's Pension.
Opt-outs and refunds
ABBPay reads opt-outs from The People's Pension every day. You can also select Sync Opt-Outs at any time. Future contributions stop and the member stays in their group so later submissions carry a zero row. Each opt-out notice is kept. If a refund is due to the employee through payroll, ABBPay tells you.
Exporting files
CSV and Excel exports are available by group or for all groups, plus the provider-format CSV from the pay run.
Tips and FAQ
Why was my submission blocked? The Pension Contributions page lists the reason for each employee. Correct them and resubmit.
Can I change the account later? Yes, in the scheme settings.
Does the employee see this? Pension deductions appear on their payslip.