One of the main changes to be introduced with MCR will be ‘stop errors’, which will result in your file submission being rejected, so it’s important to ensure that you’re minimising the risk of these occurring.

There are different reasons that stop errors can occur:-

• Incorrect format in the data
• Data item doesn’t match the expected value
• A mandatory value is missing.

These errors are recognised in the template and will be highlighted in red.

If you use a direct data extract from your payroll system, we recommend importing the data into the template before submitting to check for these errors. Instructions on how to do this can be found in the template user instructions.

Further stop errors may be identified when you submit your MCR file, or once the data is validated against what we hold:-

• File errors - which include:
• File name is incorrect
• Incorrect format
• Incorrect header

These errors should not occur if you’re using the template and follow the instructions for sending and saving the file. You’ll receive an email message that’ll be sent to the ‘MCR Data Centre Mailbox’ if these occur.

• Personal data mismatches:

This will occur if the data we hold doesn’t match that which has been sent to us. A critical element to the member data checks is the Teachers’ Pensions Reference number. All data is checked against this file and if the number you submit is incorrect, then none of the personal data will match and your file will be rejected.

• Contribution errors:

These will only occur if you use a direct data extract. If you’re using the template, you’ll have to correct this before you submit your file.

If any of these errors occur, the file will be rejected. You’ll receive an email that’ll be sent to the ‘MCR Data Centre Mailbox’ and a ‘MCR Rejection File’ will be uploaded to your Employer Portal inbox. The rejection file is a copy of your MCR submission, with a new column inserted into column A advising the code and the error.

In these instances, you’ll need to check and correct the data, either on your system or by updating the member’s record on our system and submitting a new full file.

There are steps you can take to help minimise stop errors occurring:

• Before you on-board with MCR, ensure your employee information is accurate, there will be an employee listings report which will be available in 2020 that will help with this exercise
• Check the data you currently hold is in the correct format
• If you use a direct data extract, import your MCR file into the template before you submit it.

Further information about stop errors can be found in our MCR guidance notes in the ‘How do we need to supply Monthly Contributions Reconciliation data?’ section.