Pensions dashboards

The government estimates that on average, people may build up 11 different pension pots in their lifetime, and it can be difficult to keep track of them all.

Pensions dashboards are anticipated to revolutionise the way people interact with their pensions by allowing individuals to see all their pensions information, including the state pension, in one place online.

The dashboards will support better planning for retirement and help individuals reconnect with lost pension pots.

To make dashboards work, multiple parties need to be connected to what is being referred to as an ‘ecosystem’.

This will effectively function ‘like a giant switchboard’, connecting users with their pensions via dashboards.

We have been a positive supporter of the introduction of a pensions dashboard for consumers from the outset and see this development as a much-needed step towards digitalisation of the industry, as well as connecting consumers with lost pension entitlements.

We have been actively engaged in assessing and responding to the legislation directly, and through our involvement with PASA, as part of the Pensions Dashboard Working Group (PDWG).

We are also directly engaging with the Pensions Regulator (TPR) and have quarterly calls in the diary with the industry engagement team from the regulator, who also attends the PASA PDWG.

Connect – Ensure connection to the dashboards system, by the relevant staging deadline. Most schemes are likely to do this through their third-party administrator’s integrated service / software provider.

Find and match requests – Receive personal information on dashboard users, and search and match members to their pensions.

Provide data – Provide members with information about their pension through their chosen dashboard.

Ongoing compliance – Once live, remain connected and demonstrate compliance.

Schemes should be engaging with their administrator / their existing scheme management process to assess & initiate the connection project work, data preparedness and agree commercials. A review of forthcoming member communications and scheme websites should also be undertaken to prepare to communicate the steps being taken to become dashboards compliant.

It is anticipated that schemes who fail to comply with regulations will see penalties issued up to a maximum of £5,000 to individuals and £50,000 in other cases.

Penalties are likely to be more robust where there is clear evidence of intentional non-compliance.

TPR consulted on their proposed compliance and enforcement policy, which was published in June 2022. They have updated this following the DWP publishing Pension Dashboard connection guidance in March 2024, and are looking to finalise their guidance later this year.

The information available on dashboards will start with simple information, similar to what is already available to people on annual benefit statements. This will include details of successfully located pensions, including the pension provider, how best to contact them, and the value of that pension.

It should be noted that dashboards are not anticipated to show pensions that are already being paid.

In order to provide the connection for dashboards, we identified early on that we would require a connection service which sits outside of the administration system, to ensure the process is streamlined and protects our Business-as-usual processing for schemes and members.

We are using Civica to connect to the dashboard ecosystem (ISP service) and are partnering with Intellica to produce data readiness reporting.

Work will continue over the coming months on data readiness for clients who have early staging dates.This includes necessary data cleansing, and ensuring reporting requirements can be met successfully.

Yes. Our TPA has a project team in place and robust plan for all schemes where we provide third party administration services.

As regulations, standards & guidance continue to evolve this plan evolves accordingly.

Activity is well under way to onboard our largest clients with the earliest staging dates, with the remaining cohorts of clients now the DWP reset is complete and new dates are available. There are three parts to the project:

• Stage 1 involves a data readiness report. Essentially, this provides a RAG status on how well suited each client’s data is for dashboard requirements. It will also contain recommendations where data improvements could be made to prepare scheme data for dashboards.
• Stage 2 involves the implementation of the dashboard. In simple terms, this is TPA working through the connection project and agreeing the approach with trustees to plug in client data, in a prescribed way, to the external dashboard system.
• Stage 3 will be the Dashboard Available Point (DAP) when members will gain access to their own records and obtain a consolidated view of their pension benefits.

This is a complex and high priority project for TPA and will require significant engagement from clients, we’ll continue to keep you updated with progress.

Delivering dashboards is highly complex and it is vital that industry has the right support in place to commence connection – either directly or via an integrated service provider (ISP) or administrator. Although much of the work on the central digital architecture has been delivered, there is more to do. This includes finalising the supporting documentation and ensuring a smooth and stable connection journey for industry.

DWP laid updated legislation in August 2023 which confirmed all eligible schemes would need to connect to dashboards by 31 October 2026. They also announced further statutory connection guidance would be issued in due course, to which schemes would have to regard and effectively provide scheme specific staging dates.

On 25 March 2024 DWP published The pensions dashboards: guidance on connection: the staged timetable which set out a staged timetable for occupational, personal and stakeholder pension providers to connect to the pensions dashboard ecosystem.

There have been no changes to the principles of the connection dates for pension providers and schemes, other than to push them back and announce the final connection deadline.

TPR has published a tool for all schemes with 100 or more relevant members at the scheme year end between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 to check their connection date.

DWP is clear that the framework of the existing regulations is fit for purpose, for example around the requirements for the dashboards available point (DAP), qualifying pensions dashboard services, or requirements relating to find and view data.

TPR have written to all schemes to inform them of their new connection date and plan a series of nudge communications to schemes over the 12-18 months ahead of connection to remind them of the requirements.

Getting ready for pensions dashboards takes time, and even though it is not currently possible to connect to the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) / PDP dashboards digital architecture, it is important that preparations continue. This includes, for example:

• assessing and preparing data

• interrogating and improving data accuracy

• agreeing and delivering the connection project

• considering how communications will need to be updated on the launch of dashboards to consumers

DWP and MaPS remain fully committed to dashboards, which will transform how UK savers track down and engage with their pensions. Dashboards will also bring opportunities for providers and schemes to enhance engagement with their members and customers.