The National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) has said that more than 9,000 employer accounts have been added to NEST Connect in last 12 months, with 4,300 intermediaries having become connectors in that period
NEST, which provides pension schemes for auto enrolment, said its data from its first year of operation showed that of the 33,000 employers signed up with NEST, almost 9,000 were administered via NEST Connect, an online service that allows employers to delegate the administration of their NEST scheme to a third party such as an accountant, adviser or payroll bureau.
It said the level of take-up seen at NEST Connect had confirmed that employers wanted to use intermediaries.
NEST's executive director of product and marketing, Gavin Perera-Betts said: "Employers and intermediaries are voting with their feet. Almost a quarter of all NEST employers have involved intermediaries through NEST Connect to help with auto enrolment, leaving them to focus on running their business.
"Intermediaries also seem to be harnessing the opportunity that NEST Connect presents, using the technology to deliver their auto enrolment proposition."
