The Pensions Regulator has so far issued 115,459 auto-enrolment fixed penalty notices since the start of the workplace pension scheme in 2012.

More than 10m people are now in auto-enrolment schemes.

Figures issued by the regulator show the extent of the fines and penalties it has issued to keep auto-enrolment compliance on track.

Latest TPR figures show:

• Since the start of automatic enrolment: 190,562 compliance notices have been issued
• 115,459 fixed penalty notices have been imposed along with 35,717 escalating penalty notices and 65,457 unpaid contribution notices
• TPR has also carried out a total of 1,865 compliance checks on employers.

In the first quarter of this year, TPR appointed 91 trustees to ensure the proper administration of a pension scheme and issued 52 mandatory penalty notices for no or non-compliant chair’s statements. 

During the same period, TPR used its information gathering powers 11 times. 

The figures are being published instead of TPR’s usual quarterly Compliance and Enforcement Bulletin and cover the period from January to March. 

The watchdog says the latest data reflects the powers it used in the months before the start of measures to help employers and pension schemes through the challenges caused by the Coronavirus outbreak. 

The usual bulletin contains details of case studies so employers can learn from others’ mistakes but the TPR says in the light of the pandemic it is focusing on helping employers, advisers and pension schemes meet their duties while coping with the crisis. 

TPR’s director of auto-enrolment Mel Charles said: “The protection of savers is our top priority and maintaining high employer compliance and driving up governance standards is key to that.

“These figures show the action we have taken to ensure employers and trustees meet their responsibilities.  They are also a result of our proportionate and risk-based approach to enforcement, an approach that is now enabling us to respond the challenges that Covid-19 is bringing to bear on savers and employers alike.”