If you cannot generate the PAPDIS data format using your payroll software as an alternative we can accept the Cushon upload file. The Cushon upload file is available as a standard report on a number of payroll provider’s software. If you cannot produce the data file using your payroll software. The Cushon upload file can be used to:
- Confirm contribution amounts to be paid into the workplace pension for each member, and trigger payment for these contributions.
- Upload new employees to create member records and generate welcome communications.
- Confirm leavers from the employer where NatWest Cushon should not be expecting future contributions; this can also be done individually within the Employees section of the Cushon Employer Portal.
General file formatting
The contribution file you upload to the NatWest Cushon Employer Portal must be in a 'CSV' comma delimited format (i.e. containing no headers) with the following requirements.
- Dates must be saved in dd/mm/yyyy format.
- Your file should contain no missing or inaccurate data, no commas in any text fields.
- First Name should contain a name and not just an initial.
- Do not confirm any employees as 'leavers' until they have been issued their P45 and their final contributions were processed in the last pay period.
- Do not amend payroll reference numbers without informing the NatWest Cushon Helpdesk prior to your next upload.
- Do not re-assign any previous payroll reference numbers.
- No currency symbols, special characters or commas in number formats.
- Members on each file should have the same pay frequency and within the same payroll.
Contribution calculation and payment
- Contributions must be deducted by net pay method (before income tax) as NatWest Cushon will not apply tax relief on employee contributions.
- The only exception to the above is when salary exchange is used for any employees.
- Contributions are only invested by NatWest Cushon once the opt-out period has elapsed.
- Contributions are only to be zero if:
- The employment status is 'Unpaid Maternity'.
- The Pensionable Earnings are zero, or fall below the Automatic Enrolment Qualifying Earnings threshold.
- The last contribution has been paid on a previous report and the employee is now being marked as a 'Leaver'.
Data file requirements – Cushon upload
| ID | Column header | Column header requirement | Field type (max char) | Data requirement | Description | Example |
| 1 | Employee Payroll Number | Mandatory | Text/number (10) | Mandatory | This is the key field the data is stored against and must therefore be unique to each employee record. This must not be the NI Number. | ABC123 |
| 2 | Title | Mandatory | Text (40) | Mandatory | Values can be: Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Mx, Dr, Prof | Mr |
| 3 | Forename | Mandatory | Text (40) | Mandatory | First letter should be in upper case (initials will be rejected). | Andrew |
| 4 | Surname | Mandatory | Text (40) | Mandatory | First letter should be in upper case. | Smith |
| 5 | NI Number | Mandatory | Alpha, numerical, alpha (2,6,1) | Mandatory | Or alternate reference used for real-time Information reporting. | AB123456C |
| 6 | Date of Birth | Mandatory | DD/MM/YYYY (10) | Mandatory | Date of Birth | 01/01/1970 |
| 7 | Sex | Mandatory | Text (6) | Mandatory |
|
M |
| 8 | Address line 1 | Mandatory | Text (100) |
Mandatory |
|
1 The House |
| 9 | Address line 2 | Mandatory | Mandatory | The Street | ||
| 10 | Address line 3 | Optional | Optional | The Town | ||
| 11 | Address line 4 | Optional | Optional | The City | ||
| 12 | Address line 5 | Optional | Optional | The County | ||
| 13 | Post Code | Mandatory | Text (9) | Mandatory | Spaces are allowed | ABC 2CD |
| 14 | Overseas Indicator | Optional | Y or N (1) | Mandatory | Defaults to N | N |
| 15 | Mobile Number | Mandatory | Alphanumeric (12) | Optional | Must be in the format as per the example, and so leading with an apostrophe in order to maintain the leading zeros. | 07890123456 |
| 16 | Date Joined Company | Mandatory | DD/MM/YYYY (10) | Mandatory | Date Employee joined the company/Employee start date. | 01/01/2022 |
| 17 | Comms date | Mandatory | DD/MM/YYYY (10) | Mandatory |
Date the employer informed the employee they had been automatically enrolled, or Enrolled with opt out rights (usually the Automatic Enrolment Date). |
25/01/2023 |
| 18 | Date Joined Scheme | Mandatory | DD/MM/YYYY (10) | Mandatory |
|
01/01/2023 |
| 19 | Pay Date | Mandatory | DD/MM/YYYY (10) | Mandatory | The Pay Date which the pay period that the contribution upload relates to. In other words, the date contributions were deducted. | 31/01/2023 |
| 20 | Period End Date | Mandatory | DD/MM/YYYY (10) | Mandatory | Last day of the period to which the contributions relate. | 31/01/2023 |
| 21 | Leaving Date | Optional | DD/MM/YYYY (10) | Optional |
Populated with the individual's date of leaving if the individual has left the Pension Scheme. Header and data do not need to be included if no leaver processing is required. |
01/11/2023 |
| 22 | Reason for Leaving | Optional | LE (2) | Optional |
Must be populated with the correct code if an individual has left the pension scheme. Values can only be: Left Employment = LE Death = DO |
LE |
| 23 | Email Address | Mandatory | Text, e.g. forename.surname@company.com (100) | Mandatory | All correspondence will be issued to members by NatWest Cushon via e-mail, and so each employee must have a unique email address. | john.smith@company.com |
| 24 | Employee Contribution Rate | Mandatory | Number, e.g. 1 (6) | Mandatory |
|
5.00 |
| 25 | Employer Contribution Rate | Mandatory | Number, e.g. 1 (6) | Mandatory |
|
3.00 |
| 26 | Employee Contribution Amount | Mandatory | Number, e.g. 50 (10) | Mandatory | Must be greater than or equal to 0. Do not provide negative numbers. If salary exchange, ensure all contributions to be paid to NatWest Cushon (Employee, Employer and any salary exchange rebate amounts) are all shown within the Employer Contribution Amount column. | 10.14 |
| 27 | Employee Lump Sum | Mandatory | Number, e.g. 50 (10) | Optional | Must be greater than or equal to 0. Do not provide negative numbers. If salary exchange, ensure all contributions to be paid to NatWest Cushon (Employee, Employer and any salary exchange rebate amounts) are all shown within the Employer Lump Sum column. | 0.00 |
| 28 | Employer Contribution Amount | Mandatory | Number, e.g. 50 (10) | Mandatory |
Must be greater than or equal to 0. Do not provide negative numbers. If salary exchange, ensure all contributions to be paid to NatWest Cushon (Employee, Employer and any salary exchange rebate amounts) are all shown within the Employer Contribution Amount column. |
10.14 |
| 29 | Employer Lump Sum | Mandatory | Number, e.g. 50 (10) | Optional | Must be greater than or equal to 0. Do not provide negative numbers. If salary exchange, ensure all contributions to be paid to Cushon (Employee, Employer and any salary exchange rebate amounts) are all shown within the Employer Lump Sum column. | 0.00 |
| 30 | Pensionable Earnings for the period | Mandatory | Number, e.g. 1000.00 (10) | Mandatory |
|
1014.00 |
| 31 | Salary exchange | Optional | Text - Y/N | Mandatory | Enter Y if the employee's contribution is paid by salary exchange | Y |
| 32 | Pension Scheme | Optional | Text/Number | Mandatory |
|
Staff |