Guidance

Managing Pension Schemes service newsletter - November 2021

Published 18 November 2021

1. Pension scheme migration

We’ve updated the Managing Pension Schemes service so that scheme administrators can view a list of pension schemes they need to migrate on to the Managing Pension Schemes service. Currently it’s a ‘read only’ list. You will not be able to migrate any pension schemes at this point. We’ll provide updates in a future newsletter on when you’ll be able to migrate the schemes.

Only pension scheme administrators can view the list of schemes.

Scheme administrators will need to be enrolled on the Managing Pension Schemes service using their existing ‘A0’ ID before being able to view any pension schemes. Scheme administrators with multiple administrator IDs will need to be enrolled on the service using their ‘Master’ ID.

Only schemes with a status of ‘open’ on the Pension Schemes Online service will be included on the list. If you’ve completed the process of setting up your ‘Master’ and ‘Ancillary’ scheme administrator IDs, you’ll be able to view all open pension schemes under all of these IDs on the Managing Pension Schemes service. If there are multiple scheme administrators listed for a pension scheme on the Pension Schemes Online service, any of the scheme administrators will be able to view the scheme on the Managing Pension Schemes service, as long as they’re enrolled using their ‘Master’ ID.

1.1 Updated guidance

We’ve created new guidance how to prepare to migrate your pension schemes on to the Managing Pension Schemes service.

This includes guidance on enrolling on the Managing Pension Schemes service and actions you’ll need to take if you currently hold multiple scheme administrator IDs.

1.2 What to do if your list of pension schemes is incorrect

Only pension schemes with a status of ‘open’ on the Pension Schemes Online service will be included on the list. If you can see schemes on your list that are inactive and should be wound up, you’ll need to submit an Event Report or email migration.mps@hmrc.gov.uk using ‘Managing pension schemes – Wound Up Schemes’ in the subject line.

You’ll need to include:

• the pension scheme tax reference (PSTR)
• the name of the pension scheme
• your pension scheme administrator ID
• the date of wind up

If you cannot see listed all the schemes that you have registered on the Pension Schemes Online service or can see schemes listed that you do not recognise, you’ll need to email migration.mps@hmrc.gov.uk using ‘Managing Pension Schemes – Incorrect list of schemes’ in the subject line.

You’ll need to include:

• the pensions scheme tax reference (PSTR)
• the name of the pension scheme
• your scheme administrator ID
• details about why you think your list is incorrect

1.3 Viewing Retirement Annuity Contracts (RACs) and Deferred Annuity Contracts (DACs)

Scheme administrators of any RACs or DACs on the Pension Schemes Online service, must also be enrolled on the Managing Pension Schemes service.

Scheme administrators will be able to view any RACs or DACs on a separate list to other pensions schemes they are an administrator for.

These RAC and DACs will also need to be migrated to the Managing Pension Schemes service next year. Further information on how this will work can be found in the section on future releases.

2. Enrolling on the Managing Pension Schemes service

Scheme administrators must be enrolled on the Managing Pension Schemes service to be able to see a list of schemes.

If you’re an existing scheme administrator and have an administrator ID beginning with ‘A0’, you must enrol on the Managing Pension Schemes service using the credentials (username and password) linked to your ‘A0’ ID. You must use the correct credentials to make sure you retain your existing ‘A0’ administrator ID.

If you do not know your credentials, you can find guidance on on how to reset these.

You can find guidance on how to enrol.

3. Multiple scheme administrator IDs

In Managing Pension Schemes newsletter – March 2021 we told you that if you currently hold multiple scheme administrator IDs, you’ll need to set up your ‘Master’ and ‘Ancillary’ IDs before you will be able to view all your schemes.

This is because you can only have one scheme administrator ID per Corporation Tax UTR or National Insurance number. Scheme administrators operating with more than one Corporation Tax UTR can have a scheme administrator ID for each Corporation Tax UTR held.

Once you have completed this process, all of the pension scheme records, with a status of open, on the Pension Schemes Online service, held under both your ‘Master’ ID and ‘Ancillary’ IDs, will be listed under your ‘Master’ ID on the Managing Pension Schemes service.

It can take up to a week after this process has been completed for you to see your list of pension schemes. You can find guidance on how to set up your ‘Master’ and ‘Ancillary’ IDs.

On the Managing Pension Schemes service, you’ll only use your ‘Master’ ID to sign in and use the service.

On the Pension Schemes Online service, you’ll maintain your current multiple scheme administrator ID set up for any actions you still need to take on your schemes.

3.1 Multiple practitioner IDs

As with scheme administrators, practitioners can only have one practitioner ID per Corporation Tax UTR or National Insurance number.

Practitioners with multiple IDs will need to set a ‘Master’ ID. The credentials for this ID will need to be used to enrol on the Managing Pension Schemes service.

All other practitioner IDs used by an organisation on the Pension Schemes Online service, will need to be set as ‘Ancillary’ IDs.

If you’re a practitioner, you can find guidance on how to set your ‘Master’ and ‘Ancillary’ IDs in Managing Pension Schemes newsletter – March 2021.

3.2 Managing user accesses

Once you’ve enrolled for the Managing Pension Schemes service using your ‘Master’ ID, you can assign the service through your Business Tax Account to any other users, that you want to access the service. You must do this before they sign in to use the Managing Pension Schemes service.

You’ll need to assign them access to the Managing Pension Schemes service, even if they already have access to the Pension Schemes Online service.

You can find guidance on how to set up different users and assign them access to both the Managing Pension Schemes service and Pension Schemes Online service in Appendix A of this newsletter and in the ‘Managing user accesses’ section of the Manage a registered pension scheme guide.

3.3 Accessing your business tax account

We’ve introduced new features when accessing your business tax account to improve security across our services.

Multi-factor authentication

For multi-factor authentication, you’ll need to either provide a contact number or set up an authentication app when you sign in to your business tax account. You’ll get an access code that you’ll need to enter before accessing any services. You’ll have the option of saving this code for 7 days, or you’ll be sent an access code every time you sign in.

If you do not receive your access code, you’ll have the option to request another.

If you’ve set up your multi-factor authentication preferences before, these details will automatically apply. The access code will be sent to the contact number or authentication app you provide, when you sign in to your business tax account.

If your contact details change and you need your multi-factor authentication to be reset, contact us.

‘Admin users’ of a business tax account can reset the multi-factor authentication of other users that use the same account under ‘Manage Account’.

Email verification and recovery words

You’ll also need to verify your email address and add a recovery word when accessing your business tax account, if you have not already done so.

You’ll be asked to do this after you’ve completed multi-factor authentication.

3.4 De-enrolling from the Managing Pension Schemes service

If you make a mistake when enrolling for the Managing Pension Schemes service, you’ll need to wait 24 hours before you de-enrol, otherwise you’ll receive an error message.

If you need to re-enrol using the same administrator ID, we’ll need to work with you to do this. Email migration.mps@hmrc.gov.uk and put ‘Incorrect enrolment’ in the subject line. You’ll need to provide your scheme administrator ID.

4. Updating your scheme administrator details

If you’ve enrolled for the Managing Pension Schemes service, make sure that you keep your scheme administrator and practitioner details, including correspondence address, up to date on both the Pension Schemes Online service and Managing Pension Schemes service.

If you do not keep your address up to date you may be prevented from accessing your pension schemes until you’ve provided us with an updated address.

5. Future releases

In Managing Pension Schemes newsletter – March 2021 we told you that in Spring 2022 scheme administrators will be able to select schemes from the list on the Managing Pension Schemes service and provide up to date information on them. We’ll confirm the date of this release in a future newsletter.

You may have a number of pension schemes you’ll need to provide up to date information on. In Appendix C of the Managing Pension Schemes newsletter – March 2021, we included a list of the required information so that you can prepare for this.

If there are multiple scheme administrators listed for a pension scheme on the Pension Schemes Online service, any of these will be able to complete the additional information as long as they are using their ‘Master’ ID.

Once the required information has been completed, this will migrate the pension schemes to the Managing Pension Schemes service under your ‘Master’ ID. If there are other scheme administrators added to the pension scheme or authorised practitioners on the Pension Schemes Online service, as long as they’ve enrolled for the Managing Pension Schemes service under their ‘Master’ ID, the appropriate relationship will automatically be recreated. If scheme administrators enrol at a later date, the relationships will be created at that point. For practitioners, this will depend on their authorising scheme administrator enrolling first.

For RACs and DACs, no further information will be requested. You’ll only need to complete the declarations on the Managing Pension Schemes service to migrate these pension schemes. If you have multiple RAC or DACs, you’ll be able to migrate these altogether, by just completing one set of declarations for all your RAC or DACs.

6. Schemes without a Pension Scheme Tax Reference (PSTR)

Some pension scheme administrators do not currently have access to a number of pension schemes that were registered before 6 April 2006.

For many of these schemes, you may only hold the superannuation fund (SF) reference number, rather than a PSTR.

If you’re a scheme administrator for a pension scheme that you do not currently have access to on either the Managing Pension Schemes service or Pension Schemes Online service, you’ll need to tell us that you are the scheme administrator, to make sure that the pension scheme appears on your list of pension schemes available for migration.

If you have 5 or less of these pension schemes, complete Appendix D of the Managing Pension Schemes newsletter – March 2021, and send this in an email, with ‘Pre-A Day pension schemes’ in the subject line, to: migration.mps@hmrc.gov.uk.

If you have more than 5 of these pension schemes, send an email with ‘Multiple Pre-A Day schemes’ in the subject line, to: migration.mps@hmrc.gov.uk

We’ll provide further instructions on how to tell us about these pension schemes.

We’ll let you know when we have processed this information and any next steps you need to take.

7. How you can help us

We’re still looking for people to help us improve the Managing Pension Schemes service and test the upcoming migration features or discuss your Event Report processes.

You can take part in user research and give us feedback by joining the Managing Pension Schemes user panel.

As a member of the panel, we’ll only contact you about the Managing Pension Schemes service.

This is your chance to give feedback and help inform the future design and development of the service.

You can also email feedback to pensions.businessdelivery@hmrc.gov.uk using ‘Managing Pension Schemes service – feedback’ in the subject line.

8. Further guidance

If you have any questions or concerns about the Managing Pension Schemes service, you can email migration.mps@hmrc.gov.uk using ‘Managing Pension Schemes service’ in the subject line.