Hentons acquires Brookroyd Payroll to bolster pension services

The deal will help Leeds-based Hentons strengthen its payroll division as it supports small business clients through pension auto-enrolment.

Managing partner Nadeem Ahmed said the acquisition will bolster its services for small to medium-size companies that are wrestling with an increasing amount of legislation.

Clients who have tried to implement auto-enrolment without professional support have found navigating the rules “a real challenge”, Mr Ahmed said.

“There’s not enough support for small businesses when it comes to compliance and red tape,” he said. “This will allow us to offer a holistic set of services for clients.”

Auto-enrolment requires all employers, regardless of size of business, to sign workers up to a pension scheme.

Businesses who do not meet their auto-enrolment duties face enforcement action from The Pensions Regulator. In January, it revealed 166 companies were issued a fixed penalty of £400 in the last three months of 2014.

More than 43,000 firms have begun auto-enrolment since it came into affect in October 2012. Employers are issued with a ‘staging date’ dependent on number of employees. Another 32,000 employers will start this coming financial year.

In the three years from April, a further 770,000 small and micro employers will have to comply with legislation.