i-Connect automates the transfer of employee information between payroll and the Avon Pension Fund. You input employee data into i-Connect via a web browser, and the system automatically sends information about new joiners, opt-outs, leavers, pay, and contributions to the pension fund. This automation streamlines the process and ensures compliance with record-keeping regulations.

CSV Returns (CSV)

The CSV file upload option is for larger payrolls, such as Multi Academy Trusts, and third-party payrolls.

We work with you to develop the CSV data extract needed to synchronise with our pension system. 

Each month you will submit the extracted payroll data by uploading a CSV file to i-Connect. i-Connect then automatically identifies and sends information about new joiners, opt-outs, leavers, pay, and contributions to Avon Pension Fund.

Uploading a CSV file to i-Connect

  1. Sign in to i-Connect and go to the Payroll Dashboard.
  2. Select the ‘file upload’ icon.
  3. If you manage multiple payrolls, choose the correct one from the drop-down list or start typing to perform a contains search. 
  4. Click the ‘browse’ button, find your payroll extract (CSV) file, and select ‘upload file’.
  5. i-Connect will check to ensure the payroll period end date on the file is as expected. Once the file is accepted for processing, you’ll see a Member Employment Checking message.
  6. When the employment checking process is complete the status of the file will show as ‘pending’. Omitted members (see Dealing with Omitted Members) will need to be reviewed at this stage. i-Connect will also flag any data validation errors and tolerance warnings. The dashboard should be reviewed at this stage to confirm that the figures displayed are correct.
  7. You can now proceed on the file, and the status will change to ‘Complete’ 

Member Employment Checking process

Member employment checking detects any previously matched members who have been deleted from the target system by the administering authority and allows the employer to decide whether to re-match the member to an existing post or create a new starter post.

Resolve Data Conflicts:

  • Click ‘View Next Conflict’ to view and resolve detected member issues.
  • Payroll Member information comes from the payroll file; potential matches come from our system.
  • If you agree with a match, select it and click ‘Confirm Member Match’
  • If you disagree, click ‘This member is a new starter / has opted out of the pension scheme’ to create a new record. Please then add a 'Date Joined Fund' to the extract. If the 'Date Joined Fund' is not present on the extract this will create a validation error.

Review and Confirm:

  • After resolving conflicts, review and confirm any new starters.
  • An updated results page will appear. Click ‘Confirm Employment Checking Complete’ to finish.

Cancel or Reset:

  • To cancel, click ‘Cancel Employment Checking Process’.
  • To reset and restart, click ‘Reset All Employment Conflicts For Submission’.

Upload errors

There are three types of errors that can prevent your extract from loading: File Formatting, Validation Errors, and Tolerance Breaches.

File Formatting

Please ensure the file follows the formatting provided in the: 

The file must be in CSV format, it will not be accepted by i-Connect if not saved correctly. Find out how to save your extract in CSV file format.

Validation Errors

i-Connect checks the payroll extract file for validation errors as part of the upload process. An error message is displayed on the Dashboard if any validation errors are detected.  Select the error message for further information. All errors must be corrected before the upload can proceed. After the file has been amended to correct the errors, you will need to cancel the current submission and re-upload the revised version of the file.

Common errors include no start date in the Date Joined Fund field for new starters, missing contribution rates and duplicate members that are linked to the same employment. Please cancel the upload of the file, make the relevant amendments and then reupload.

Duplicate member validation error

This error occurs when i-Connect tries to feed multiple lines of data onto our system, but there is only one current record for the employee. This often happens when amendments are made to a post that is no longer current, for example where arrears payments are being made to a post that was made a leaver on a previous extract. Remove the additional line from the extract and manually submit any data amendments to the Fund.

Tolerance Warnings 

Avon Pension Fund sets data change tolerance levels for employee contributions, member address updates, new starters, and pensionable pay. If the percentage of changes from one month to the next is higher than the tolerance percentage that has been set for your payroll, then a tolerance warning will be produced.

Avon Pension Fund will need to approve and proceed the data. Please contact us at iConnect@Bathnes.gov.uk with an explanation of why the tolerance level has breached and we will proceed the upload on your behalf.

Dealing with omitted members

Omitted members are employees who do not appear on the payroll extract file each payroll period, for example casual employees who are not included on one payroll submission but may be included in future ones. They can also include non-casual posts that have been removed from the extract but have not had a date added to the date of leaving field on a previous extract.

Omitted members are carried forward each pay period until they re-appear on the payroll extract file when normal processing is resumed, or until they are manually removed. If they are no longer active on your payroll system, they can be deleted, but you must ensure that you advise us that they have been removed and provide an end date so we can process any leaver entitlements. The deletion option is only available when the submission status is ‘Pending’. 

What happens next

Please send us a copy of the file via GlobalScape so we can complete our review of the data. We will review any errors or suppressions post load and contact you with queries if required.

Latest Upload (Events Summary)

This page appears when the file upload processing has completed and i-Connect has loaded data to our system. This may take several minutes.

Your payroll dashboard and data submission

To complete your monthly submission, you must review your payroll dashboard and confirm your payments for the payroll period submitted.

Find out about your payroll submission and remittance confirmation

More information about CSV/MPP monthly returns can be found in the i-Connect File Upload Guide (PDF, 1.54MB)

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