ACCOUNTANTS across the Bradford district have been urged to ensure they are equipped to deal with requests from small and medium firms needing advice on auto enrolment pension schemes as next year’s deadline approaches.

National financial adviser Lighthouse Group said 28,000 businesses have been automatically enrolled in workplace pensions since the scheme began two years ago, but the financial services sector is bracing itself for a ‘tsunami’ of requests as businesses with 30-49 employees must prepare for their automatic enrolment between August and October 2015.

Those with fewer than 30 employees will begin the process from June 2015 if pre-selected by the regulator for early staging, or otherwise from November 2015 through to 2017.

Malcolm Streatfield, Lighthouse Group chief executive, said: “Accountants should be prepared to field rising levels of urgent requests for auto enrolment information from their SME clients over the next few months, as many businesses still have little idea of deadlines or responsibilities.

“Although a deadline of next year may seem like plenty of time, the fact is that pensions enrolment takes a great deal of work – often six months or more.”