The timetable for automatic enrolment for small businesses has been pushed back by a year, Pensions Minister Steve Webb has confirmed.

Speculation had been growing that tomorrow’s Autumn Statement would announce a delay to the implementation of automatic enrolment for businesses with less than 50 employees.

In an announcement this afternoon, Webb confirmed that the implementation date had been pushed back to May 2015 from its current date of April 2014.

“We recognise that small businesses are operating in tough economic times so we are softening the timetable for implementation to give them some additional breathing space. This is a sensible step that ensures long term pension issues are addressed while meeting the short and medium term needs of small business,” Webb said.

The rate of pensions contributions will remain unchanged until all businesses have started automatic enrolment, and the largest employers will still be phased in from next year as planned under the existing timetable.

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