SHPS | Defined Contribution

The monthly data must be submitted using the eBusiness system provided by The Pensions Trust.

To access the Online Pensions Management system, please click here.

To help you with your submission and provide guidance to help you resolve any issues that arise the following Guides are available:

• eBusiness Employer User Guide – this provides system requirements and basic information for employers using the eBusiness system.
• eBusiness Submission Guide – this provides practical guidance for employers using the eBusiness system.
• eBusiness Summarised Submission Guide – this provides a practical summary for employers using the eBusiness system.
• FAQs - some frequently asked questions from employers using the eBusiness system.

In addition the Operational Team at The Pensions Trust can assist you. You can contact the Operational Team by telephone on 0113 394 2894.

You should make one payment in respect of one contributions data submission per calendar month. The payment should be sent coincident with or just after the data has been submitted, and the payment should exactly match the total amount on the data submission. If the payment is received and no data or unmatching data is provided and it is not resolved within two days the payment will be returned to you, as it cannot be processed without the correct matching data submission.

Payment must be received by the 14th of the month following the calendar month in which the contributions were deducted from members’ pay. Please note that the contributions cannot be invested in the members’ pension savings pots until they are received. The units purchased will depend on the unit price when the contributions are invested and, due to changes in the unit prices, any delay may mean that the number of units actually purchased could be less than could have been purchased had the delay not occurred. In line with guidance from The Pensions Regulator you should aim to make the payment and submit data within five days of deducting contributions from members’ pay to avoid any delay in investing.

Please refer to the eBusiness Employer User Guide for bank details for BACS payments and other information relating to contribution payments.

Please quote your Employer Number when making a payment.

When you submit your contribution data the system will carry out some validation checks. The results will be presented in three categories, as follows:

• Warnings – these will not prevent you from submitting but are items you should be aware of.
• Actions – data to confirm or explain.
• Errors – data identified as incorrect compared to the expected value or format.  Any issues arising in this category will need to be resolved before you are able to submit your data.

Full guidance regarding the validation checks and how to resolve issues is included in the eBusiness Submission Guide. If you are unable to resolve an issue that has arisen contact the Pensions Operations Team on 0113 394 2894 who will be able to assist you.

The member should contact the SHPS Member Team at The Pensions Trust by telephone on 0113 394 2551 or by email at enquiries@thepensionstrust.org.uk

The SHPS Member Team will be able to tell the member what they need to do. If the member has information relating to their previous benefits, a copy should be provided to The Pensions Trust. The member's written authority will be required to enable the SHPS Administration Team to obtain the necessary information from the previous pension provider to see if a transfer is possible. Therefore, please complete the Member Form of Authority and return it to The Pensions Trust.

SHPS will only accept transfers into the DC structure. As the DC structure is not contracted-out of the State Second Pension, it's not possible to accept transfers that include any rights relating to contracted-out pensionable service. The SHPS Administration Team will advise the member if the transfer cannot proceed, and the member should be aware that this is a possible outcome of the investigation.

Yes. Benefit statements will be provided annually to all members with investments held in the SHPS DC structure. This includes active members who are currently employed and making contributions to the Scheme and past members who are no longer contributing but have a deferred benefit that is held in the Scheme on their behalf.

The benefit statements will be issued by the end of July each year and cover the Scheme year from 1 April to 31 March. The benefit statements will be issued direct to members’ home addresses.

The benefit statement will show:

• The member's personal details and membership dates.
• The contributions credited to the member’s savings pot by both the member and the employer during the preceding Scheme year.
• The dates the contributions were received and invested.
• Charges deducted during the year.
• The value of the member's savings pot at the statement date (split between investment funds).
• A statutory money purchase illustration (SMPI) of projected benefits. This is an illustration of the benefits that could be provided at the member's selected retirement date assuming contributions continue at the current rate and using specific assumptions for salary growth and investment return.

If any of your employees were previously a member of the SHPS DB structure (Final Salary or CARE structures), the benefit statement will incorporate all SHPS benefits the member is entitled to. The benefit statement will include both DB and DC benefits built up during the current membership as at the statement date, and provide an indication of the likely total benefits at the member’s selected retirement date.

Information relating to the SHPS DC structure, and some general information about DC pension schemes and how they operate, is available on the SHPS DC website. Visit the member pages by clicking here.

The website has been developed as an interactive and informative tool for members, prospective members and employers and includes information, calculators and instructions for members and employers regarding the DC membership journey. It also includes links to all the forms you and your employees may need and to other sources of DC education material provided by other organisations such as The Pensions Regulator, which may be of interest.

There is a 'Your Questions' section on the website where the most frequently asked questions are answered. There's also a facility to ask new questions.

Feedback from you and your employees is valued because we want the website to provide the information you need. If there is something you would like to see on the site that's currently not available, please let us know.

For scheme and member related queries

The SHPS Member Team at The Pensions Trust are available to assist you with any query you may have. You can contact the SHPS Member Team by telephone on 0113 394 2551 or by email at enquiries@thepensionstrust.org.uk

If your enquiry relates to an individual member, please have their membership number available when you call.

For contribution processing, enrolment or salary update queries

The Operational Team at The Pensions Trust is available to assist you. You can contact the Operational Team by telephone on 0113 394 2894 or by email at contributions@thepensionstrust.org.uk

For non-administration related queries

The Customer Relations Team at The Pensions Trust is available to assist you. The SHPS Account Managers can be contacted by telephone on 0113 394 2576 or by email at enquiries@thepensionstrust.org.uk

The information for members relating to the SHPS DB structure can be found in the ‘Document Library’ on the SHPS website at www.shps.org.uk

Printed literature is also available for the DB structure which can be downloaded from the website or is available on request from The Pensions Trust. Please contact the SHPS Member Team on 0845 608 5252 or by email at enquiries@thepensionstrust.org.uk

In the first instance you should try to resolve the matter with your regular contact at The Pensions Trust. If necessary, contact the Pensions Administration Manager at Verity House, 6 Canal Wharf, Leeds LS11 5BQ on 0113 234 5500.

If your complaint cannot be resolved informally and you remain dissatisfied you may, at any time, follow the formal Complaints Procedure. A copy will be provided to you on request.