Associations

Welplan: Securing the future

Welplan

Based in Penrith, Welplan is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Building & Engineering Services Association and provides employee benefits for the building services industry.

It has over 60 years of experience and was originally formed to meet the requirements of the H&V National Agreement.  Benefits provided include national agreement benefits for the H&V industry, the Engineering Construction Industry, (Naeci) and the Thermal Insulation Industry. In addition Welplan has the flexibility to provide bespoke benefits to meet the requirements of individual groups, or a single employer.

In 1988 Welplan established Welplan Pensions, which is an industry-wide occupational pension scheme servicing the building services sector. The pension scheme has recently been developed to address the statutory introduction of auto enrolment, which states that all employers are required by law to automatically enrol all eligible jobholders into a workplace pension scheme and make contributions. Welplan Pensions is the preferred provider to the Building Engineering Services, Engineering Construction and Thermal Insulation Industries.

For the first time automatic enrolment has been set as a default, with the option for employees to opt out and at present between 200 and 300 employers are participating in Welplan Pensions. Benefits of Welplan Pensions include flexibility in the definition of pensionable salary and rates of contributions, flexible data transfer systems and bespoke contribution collections.

As an industry-wide scheme, if a member changes jobs and joins another employer who participates in Welplan Pensions they can continue their membership of the scheme. The level of contributions and those of the new employer may change however this will be in line with the new offer of employment. In an industry with a transient workforce, this ensures that the employee will have one pension provider to deal with.

Welplan

Discussing Welplan’s successful business plan, Business Development Manager, Mike Jenkins, said:

“At Welplan we provide services to some of the largest companies operating in our sector as well as some of the smallest. All companies are important irrespective of size and all are treated the same. I’ve been working with Welplan for the last eight years, however the majority of our staff has more than 20 years experience with our company, and many team members have been employed by Welplan for the majority of their working lives. This has enabled them to understand the needs of our clients and provide a tailored service to them.

“The services that we provide are very important to our clients. We deal with a range of companies, from large businesses with thousands of employees, to smaller companies with a much more reduced work force. Our rates are competitive and remain the same irrespective of the number of employees. This allows us to maintain a level playing field across the industry sectors we service.

“Most businesses that work with Welplan feel a part of Welplan and we are there to service their needs.”

Welplan

Mike added:

“Welplan prides itself on service, so whether it is death cover or sick pay we are there to ensure that our clients get the correct benefits and that claims are met in a timely manner. Our staff is fully trained and can address any problem on the spot, ensuring all enquiries are dealt with efficiently.”

For any enquiries about Welplan, Welplan Pensions, or any of the benefits schemes, please contact Welplan at:

Welplan, Old Mansion House, Eamont Bridge, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 2BX

Free phone: 0800 1958080

E mail: contact@welplan.co.uk or visit: www.welplan.co.uk.

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Roma Publications