Auto enrolment for workplace pensions in the UK started in October 2012.

Quick Scoop: When did auto enrolment start?

If you’re asking “when did auto enrolment start?” you’re almost certainly referring to the UK workplace pension rules that made it compulsory for employers to put eligible staff into a pension scheme.

  • The official start date was October 2012 for large employers.
  • It was then phased in over several years , with medium, small and micro employers following according to a government timetable.
  • The rollout for existing employers was effectively complete by April 2017 , with newly formed employers brought in up to February 2018.

In simple terms: auto enrolment “started” in October 2012, but it took about five to six years before it applied to every employer.

Key timeline at a glance

[9][1][7][5] [7][5] [7] [5][7]
Event When
Auto enrolment first goes live (large employers) October 2012
Medium & small employers phased in 2014–2017 (staged dates by size)
All existing employers covered By April 2017
New employers fully brought in By February 2018
Since then, every employer has had a legal duty to automatically enrol eligible workers into a qualifying pension and pay at least the minimum contributions.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.